Everett's Web
by syaoran no hime
Summary: (Modern AU NejiTen, NaruHina, SasuSaku, SaiIno) Hinata hears of a new fortuneteller in town, so Neji dutifully brings her to the famed seer. Little did he know that it is his own fortune that is about to change.
1. Chapter 1

For as long as he had known his cousin, he had always seen her as meek, reserved, and gentle-mannered even in the face of his uncle's worst show of derision towards her. Always calm and steady, like the quiet, incessant flow of a forest spring.

 _So why am I seeing a wild-maned, flushing, and giddy Hyuuga Hinata-sama dragging me down the escalator?_ Yet even as he pondered this bewildering situation at hand, Hyuuga Neji dutifully allowed the heiress of the city's oldest, richest, and most prominent clan to unceremoniously yank him through the labyrinth of smartly-dressed employees working for the famed Hyuuga Complex.

"Jump!" yelled Hinata suddenly, gracefully overtaking the last few steps of the moving stairs. He did the same, and landed with the same smooth, precise movement—a product of long hours of martial arts training that the Hyuuga family had traditionally instilled among all its name-bearers.

He knew he and Hinata were making quite a spectacle, judging from the mix of curious, withering, pitying, and silently mocking looks they (well, mostly him) were receiving. _Understandable_ , he thought—nearly everyone knew him as the company president's no-nonsense and notoriously strict lapdog, and he was now being towed around by the Hyuuga Heiress for what seemed like a juvenile game of chase.

But he didn't mind—he may be a very proud man to a fault, but indulging Hinata and her sister, Hanabi, would never hurt his pride.

"P-Please hurry, Neji-niisan!" begged Hinata in between harsh gasps of breath, "The fortuneteller might be leaving soon!"

Years of negotiating deals and pitching before disinterested executives had groomed him to the point that he could carefully suppress his disapproval with ease. "Why the sudden interest in one, Hinata-sama?" he asked instead. _Listen, find the weak point, exploit._

"Everyone's talking about her on the company chatroom – they say she's great!" his cousin gushed, eyes twinkling in excitement. "I would like to hear what she has to say about our company's luck in the coming fiscal year!"

He blinked. "Hinata-sama, won't it be easier for you to review the projections made in the previous meeting rather than to ask someone in such an arbitrary fashion?" He couldn't remember the last time he voluntarily read his horoscope, but he was pretty sure it didn't mention which stocks to pick for his zodiac sign.

Hinata smiled, unbothered by his slight expression of censure. "Economic projections, investments, weather forecasts, fortunetelling—they are all just attempts to foresee and control the future, aren't they? At least, fortunetelling is interesting and unpretentious."

 _True, but…_

He did a double take when his cousin suddenly stopped in front of him and pressed her hands together over her bowed head. "Won't you at least take a listen, Neji-niisan?" she pleaded breathlessly, her cheeks still flushed from their running.

 _Damn it._ Apparently, his Hinata-sama was a step ahead of him and knew his weak point well enough to exploit it at will.

In his eyes, seeing Hinata and Hanabi happy has always taken precedence over nearly all his priorities. It was something that his late father drilled into him way back, when he was tasked to be his cousin's protectors.

 _Those girls… the responsibilities they bear over the lives of thousands of our employees all but seal their fates. They are caged birds, Neji, so you must do your best to protect even the little happiness they can find in their predestined lives._

So, if it takes consulting a wandering diviner about P&L statements and fundraising rounds to make his little cousin happy, then he sure as hell would go through it.

"As you wish, Hinata-sama," he finally conceded, offering her a small, gentlemanly bow.

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His forehead creased when he saw a tacky-looking black tent draped in purple shawls and fake crystals sitting right across the street. A printed sign was taped next to the flap, which read, "CLOSED", with the operating hours of the booth and a website address at the bottom for clients who wished to consult online. In bolder text, it stated her rate per 30-minute session.

 _The audacity of that scammer!_ He may not believe in fortunetelling, but he expected that it was something that should at least be practiced in-person, and not over a soulless channel like the Internet.

"We missed her!" Hinata looked crestfallen. "And I was so excited to meet her, too—eh?! Neji-niisan!" She tried to hold her cousin back when she saw what he intended to do, but he slipped loose from her grasp and managed to enter the tent. "Neji-niisan, please wait!"

He quickly caught himself before he stumbled over a bench. Certainly he was not expecting the shack to be roomy, but to find a piece of furniture littered right after the entrance? _Really?_

"Neji-niisan, we're trespassing, aren't we?" whispered Hinata, who had followed him in reluctantly.

Before he could respond, a female voice replied, "She's right, you know."

The light from outside helped him make out the figure behind the table. A slender woman was seated behind a crystal ball, her hands holding up a pair of chopsticks poised in the air.

"The fortuneteller, I presume?" he asked politely.

"No, sorry. I'm actually an exotic animal breeder, but do come in, I'll tell your fortune using the fresh crocodile carcass I'm feeding on," she replied dryly.

He smiled through gritted teeth. "I truly apologize, Fortuneteller-san. We are aware that you have business hours to keep, but my mistress is very excited to meet you. I hope you can accommodate her." He brought out a checkbook and quickly jotted down an amount worth 24 hours of her session rate. After signing, he tore it off and slipped it towards her on the table.

"Hmm?" The woman flicked on a switch, and the dark interior was immediately illuminated by running Christmas lights overhead. To his consternation, _Jingle Bells_ played as the colorful lights flickered merrily.

"Oops, sorry! Pressed the wrong switch." The woman toyed with the controls again, and this time, all of the lights dimmed to soft yellow, the holiday tune mercifully gone. "I just recycled the lights from a discount store, so it wonks out every now and then," explained the fortuneteller, as if hoping to appease her stunned guests.

She picked up the check that Neji signed, sighed audibly, and then returned it to him. "My rate is posted on the entrance. I only take cash or food vouchers. The dumplings guy I buy from only takes those anyway."

He double-checked the figure he wrote, and then turned the same scrutinizing gaze towards the strange woman. "I'm giving you more than your rate."

"Yes."

"And that is not agreeable to you?"

"I can't see why it should be."

He paused, unsure if he heard her right.

"In everything I do, I only take what I need. Otherwise, I'll end up owing the other party a favor," she reasoned pragmatically. "And I dislike favors: they're weighed down by expectations to be repaid, sometimes in greater value than what it would have warranted in currency."

 _Touché._ Neji took back the check without further protest. "I don't usually carry cash with me, but I can get you that in five minutes or less. During that time, can you kindly accommodate Hinata-sama?"

She tapped her chopsticks impatiently against her plate. "I thought you said you guys know my business hours? Come back tomorrow, I'm off the clock now."

"We can pay an overtime rate," he offered quickly.

"I don't do overtime—don't you know that a poor little kitten dies for every hour you overwork someone? Now go away, my dumplings are getting cold," she said, shooing them away dismissively.

 _Dumplings?_ He had negotiated plenty of several deals in his twenty years of lifetime, but this had got to be the strangest case yet. _But if it would get Hinata-sama what she wants…_ Besides, he had never lost any negotiation he had handled. He was not about to let this odd woman break his record.

"What if I get you a fresh plate of dumplings?" he tried again. "A free dinner for the week starting tonight?"

She shook her head. "You don't get it, do you? I want to eat my dumplings NOW, not later, not tomorrow, not on the next full moon—"

Hinata tugged at his arm. "Neji-niisan, we're becoming a nuisance. Let's just come back tomorrow, ne?"

"But you were really looking forward to this, weren't you, Hinata-sama?" At the corner of his eye, he saw the fortuneteller's brow shot up in interest.

 _As expected of women. Appeal to their emotions,_ he thought with smug satisfaction. "I know that Hinata-sama is quite lonely, dealing with the stress of learning the family business while juggling her _omiai_ ," he lamented, referring to her arranged marriage prospect dates. "If this simple activity can make my poor cousin smile even for a bit, then I would like to do my best with making her wish happen." He eyed the fortuneteller discreetly, waiting for her reaction.

The woman pursed her lips. "Creepy."

 _Huh?_

"I heard about cousin complexes in manga," the fortuneteller continued, resuming her meal, "but they're actually scarier to hear in live action."

"Cousin complex?" echoed Hinata innocently, as his face darkened in mortification. "Neji-niisan, what is a 'cousin complex'?"

It took him all his reserves of self-control to force a nonchalant smile. "Don't worry about it, Hinata-sama. Actually, I think we should just book an appointment for tomorrow with Fortuneteller-san, since Hiashi-sama expects you to be home by now anyway."

"Aww, raising a white flag too soon? Aren't businessmen supposed to be very persistent until they make their sale?"

 _Ah, she knows how to hit where it hurts._ A vein popped up anew in his face as he valiantly struggled to keep his cordial tone for the sake of his worried cousin. "I can reschedule your meeting with the Kazekage heir for a dinner instead so you can make it to the tent before five. Will that be alright for you, Hinata-sama?"

"Thank you, Neji-niisan, that sounds perfect." Hinata turned to the fortuneteller and bowed apologetically. "We apologize for the intrusion, and I look forward to talking to you tomorrow."

"Aaw, so classy and cute! No matter what universe you are in, you truly ARE a princess, Hinata-chan!" the fortuneteller gushed.

Hinata's head cocked sideways in puzzlement, while Neji frowned at the cryptic statement.

"What's with those faces?" the seer demanded. "You're just drawing in negative energy here! Go home, and I'll see you both tomorrow. Be punctual, or else I'll curse you with ten months of bad luck in dating."

Like a jack-in-the-box, Hinata hurriedly pounced up her seat, while he automatically got up as well to escort his lady. However, he couldn't resist looking back at the strange woman one more time. She met his gaze unflinchingly, as if she had no intention to back down from the challenge.

"Your name?" he finally asked.

"Fortunetellers don't need one," she answered with a shrug. "In order to peek into the future, we exist in a wholly different plane of time and space—"

"Not even for branding and PR?"

"Good point." She saluted him with her chopsticks. "I'm Tenten. And you're Neji," she added before he could speak. "Please tell all your rich, gullible friends about my business!"

He was startled to hear his first name spoken so irreverently by a virtual stranger.

"So, you're wondering how I knew your name, huh?" The seer shrugged casually. "Well, I know because I can actually see your past life. You came from a family of cars."

He frowned uncomprehendingly.

"Neji-niisan, is everything okay?" Hinata asked timidly from outside the tent.

 _Oh._ He glowered at Tenten, and she grinned back.

"My last name is Hyuuga. Hyuuga Neji," he replied gruffly. "Can you kindly jot that name down for tomorrow's appointment?"

She did exactly none of his request. "If it's fate for us to meet, then it shall happen, Hyuuga Neji."

 _Good grief._

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"Welcome!" greeted Tenten the Fortuneteller the next afternoon as he escorted Hinata into the now-familiar tent.

With more light in the cramped space, he was able to inspect her better. Her sitting posture suggests good understanding of neutral body positioning and balance, though he wondered what kind of training regimen do gypsies like her follow to achieve such. She was wearing a cape like yesterday, but he now noticed that the teal hood was held together by a brooch that had a scroll-like design shaped into a leaf. It shone brightly against her collar bone, and for a moment, he wondered what kind of power it held.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't offer a more majestic cleavage for your viewing pleasure, Hyuuga Neji," the fortuneteller said in a sing-song voice. "You aren't the first man I've offended with my non-existent rack,"

"T-That's disgusting!" he sputtered, blushing furiously despite knowing he didn't do anything wrong.

"Come now, don't be too hard on yourself, Hyuuga Neji!" she purred, and then turned to the hopelessly confused female beside him. "Princess, what would you like to know?"

"A-Anou…" The young woman bowed towards the fortuneteller again. "I would like to introduce myself properly today. I am Hyuuga Hinata, and I have come to ask you…" She paused, wondering how to best voice out her quandary.

 _Hinata-sama_. He gazed at her, feeling a surge of pity for his cousin.

"Go on," prompted Tenten kindly.

Hinata nodded. "I am to inherit a family business that has been passed down from generation to generation and has supported the livelihood of many people for so long. Can you please recommend the most compatible animal sign for someone born on December 27th? I am hoping to marry someone who can continue to look after our business and make it prosperous."

The seer tipped her chin. "Hmm. Any sign will do, as long as this person gets out of your way and lets you run the business as you should."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"OY!" He slammed his palms down the table, rattling the crystal ball. "What kind of prediction was that?!"

"A sensible one," answered the seer matter-of-factly. "Heiresses are typically trained since birth to take over the role, so no one knows the ropes of the business better than her. What's more, she is aware of how many families are relying on her for economic support. So, naturally, Hinata-chan is the person with the strongest motivation to make the business successful, no matter what!"

"Y-You didn't even use your crystal ball!" he complained.

"Oh, this?" Tenten tapped the object he was pointing at. "It's a USB-powered plasma ball I bought online. Customers like this sort of street cred, you know?"

He glared at her accusingly. "So, you're not a real fortuneteller after all!"

"I am, too!" She stuck her tongue at him. "Though it's not my fault that you think fortunetelling is done through those silly props."

"It's okay, Neji-niisan," said Hinata softly, drawing the two's argument to a close. "I found the answer I need." She bowed towards Tenten gratefully. "Thank you, Fortuneteller-san! You have put my mind to ease today."

Tenten waved her hand cheerfully. "Happy to help!"

"By the way, why did you call me _that_ yesterday?" the dark-haired woman asked curiously.

The seer scratched her head.

" _Princess_. You called me 'Princess'," reminded Hinata gently.

He saw the brown-haired woman hesitate momentarily, and then as if making a decision, broke into a reassuring smile. "Because you simply are," she spoke warmly. "And I hope that in this lifetime, you'll meet an idiotic prince with hair the color of sunflower and eyes the color of the sky."

"What—"

Tenten gave them a smile brimming with nostalgia. "A close friend of mine did, and she told me that all the pain she and this person had gone through in life became worth it—because it was all a way for them to properly meet and come together."

 _A kind of happiness that makes you grateful for pain, eh?_

As she spoke, he could not understand why he could not—for the life of him—draw his eyes away from her as she spoke like an old soul who had seen all the world pass by.

The heiress' eyes shook. "Now I'm feeling envious, Fortuneteller-san. I… want to know that kind of happiness, too."

"Don't we all?" agreed Tenten.

He watched her eyes change into a forlorn, faraway look, as if remembering, no, _yearning_ for something that was already beyond her feeble reach.

"Don't we all?" he heard her murmur again, more softly this time.

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"Did Hinata-chan forget something?" asked Tenten as he made his way into the tent, just ten minutes after he and Hinata bade her goodbye.

Without warning, he reached out to her to grab her hand. And before she could protest, she caught the familiar color of a dumpling store coupon on her palm.

"Ah, my bad! I forgot to ask for your payment. Thank you for being so honest and filthy rich that you can't be bothered to cheat people, " She tried to withdraw her hand from his grip, but he still wouldn't let go. Confused, she looked up at him. "Do you need some kind of a receipt or something—WHOA!"

In one quick motion, he tugged at her hand and briskly led her out of the cramped tent. Heads turned their way—it wasn't everyday that one would see a primly dressed man in suit dragging a gypsy like it was nothing.

"Hey, hey! Hyuuga Neji, where are you taking me?" she yelled, practically stumbling to a step behind him. "Is this abduction? Is it because you are dissatisfied with the advice I gave Hinata-chan? I-If so, I can TOTALLY offer a money-back guarantee, as long as you promise I won't end up as fertilizer for Hiashi-sama's garden—"

He whirled around to face her, startled. "Y-You know Hiashi-sama?" He dropped her hand and stopped walking.

"O-Oh, do I!" she replied brightly, happy for the respite. "One time when I was 12, I accidentally destroyed one of the sliding doors in his house while training with my friend. I really thought I was a goner for sure! But Hiashi-sama gave me tea, and guess what? It wasn't poisoned as strongly as I thought!" She nodded to herself. "Yup! I'm pretty sure that's when we became close buddies!"

"T-That doesn't make sense!" he murmured. But the candidness in her gesture and tone spoke with such truth that he wasn't sure what to think.

"I know, right? He let me off the hook ALIVE!" Then she sighed loudly. "Well, come to think of it, sparing my life is probably more out of consideration for _him_."

"Him who?"

"My friend." She shook her head. "No. My most precious friend."

It was then that he realized that with the somber colors of the late afternoon sky freely streaming around them, it was the first time that he was able to fully see the smart-alecky fortuneteller without the tent's poorly-illuminated sheath.

Her hood was now swathed around her slender shoulders, allowing the loose auburn tresses from her messy odango-styled hair to dance freely in the afternoon breeze. She looked not a day older than him, especially with those coffee-colored eyes that twinkled in quiet mischief. Her skin was a shade darker than his—perhaps, due to the nomadic nature of her peculiar job. Her teal coat and purple gown ensured her visibility even in the most crowded train stations in the country.

Within the sterile glass partitions and marble tiles of the Hyuuga Complex which was the only place he knew all his life, he was sure that he had never seen anyone like her. He imagined her sticking out in the lobby like a gaudy piece of discount store furniture.

 _How annoying._ Not so much because of the fortuneteller, but because for all her garishness, he still found her…

"I'm interesting?" He watched as her lips curve into a teasing smile. "Why, much appreciated!"

Did he just voice out his thoughts aloud? He embarrassedly cleared his throat. "I-I meant that it's interesting for you to say that you know Hiashi-sama so well. I've lived by his side for many years, and I'm quite certain that I have never met you or your friend before." He would have remembered her for sure: she was someone who'd easily make a lasting impression on anyone.

He saw her eyes look troubled for a moment, and instinctively, he raised his hand from his side. For what purpose, he was not sure— he didn't have time to think it through anymore, as the fortuneteller had dodged him sideways and proceeded to walk ahead of him. He turned to follow her.

"The dumplings store should be right around the corner," she said, sounding cheerful again. Her back was still turned on him, and he suddenly felt the urge to run up ahead of her to ascertain if her tone matched her expressions.

His mouth formed the words before he could reconsider. "I believe you."

She halted her steps, likely not expecting his words.

"I-I mean, I am not privy to all of Hiashi-sama's affairs, so it's possible… that I…" _What am I doing?_

She faced him, and to his relief, the troubled look on her eyes was gone. "Thank you for cheering me up, Neji."

He was unsure whether it was the ringing sincerity in her voice or the fact that she had called him by his first name with such familiarity. All he knew was he had lost the battle of wills and that he needed to retreat from the scene—fast.

He mumbled something about her being wrong and that he was most definitely NOT cheering her up before walking briskly ahead of her. He heard her laughter in response before her light footsteps followed his.

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"Old man!" chirped Tenten as she took her customary seat in the outermost table of the stall.

"Well now, if it isn't our fortuneteller!" The spiky-haired man with red lines on his cheeks peered at him inquisitively. "And you got yourself an assistant, it seems. If your business is doing so well, you should start ordering my premium dumplings, too!"

She waved her hand flippantly. "I can't afford him. He works right across my spot—the huge glass tower with a parking lot that looks like a luxury car show."

"Oh?" The vendor looked intrigued. "What's a fancy-schmancy employee of the Hyuuga Complex doing here in my humble store?"

He wordlessly handed the owner a food voucher, which he had ask one of his employees to secure for him earlier that day.

"This man's loaded. He looks like one of those folks who can't be bothered to carry cash with them," remarked the ash-headed male while accepting the coupon.

"Chive and pork dumplings for me, please!" said the fortuneteller, waving her own voucher happily. "And anything but spicy-flavored dumplings for this gentleman!"

"Roger that!" The old man then disappeared into his kitchen to prepare the orders.

His forehead creased. _How did she know about my food preference?_ He wanted to ask, but recalling the pensive expression on her face earlier, his mouth clamped shut. However, the wheels in his mind were furiously spinning.

Tenten turned to him. "You're suddenly quiet, Hyuuga Neji. Are you that hungry?"

 _So we're back to full name basis, huh?_ He leaned his cheek against a folded hand, scrutinizing the fortuneteller. "I'm thinking."

"Don't," she replied automatically. "If they were here, the dumplings will feel offended if you regard them as you would your spreadsheets."

"Spreadsheets, huh? Fair point."

She grinned once more and then closed her eyes, humming.

"How old are you?"

"You never ask a woman her age, unless you're her doctor."

"I was preparing to follow my father's footsteps and become a neurologist before I got looped into working for my uncle's business. Does that count?"

"Is that so?" She seemed like she appreciated the new information she got from him. "I'm twenty."

"The same age, huh?" He looked up at the ceiling. "I suddenly feel nostalgic. Since you like dumplings so much, you would have participated in that national dumpling event back in middle school, right?"

"E-Eh?"

"That one where students were required to cook dumplings and offer them to the temples for good luck. "

"Oh, that." She dipped her food in soy sauce and vinegar.

"It was televised nationwide, too," he supplied helpfully.

"Y-Yes, I remember now," she nodded after a momentary pause.

"Hinata-sama made shrimp dumplings. What did you make back then, Tenten?" he wanted to know.

"Umm, naturally, pork dumplings!" she replied quickly, as the old man brought their orders to them finally. "Thank you for the food!"

"And did you bring it yourself to the temple?" he asked as the owner left.

"Sure did! It was a lot of fun doing it with everyone!" she chirped.

He eyed her intently for a few minutes, and then looked down at his plate. "I lied. That dumplings contest never happened."

She turned to him, wide-eyed.

"I don't understand why you need to lie about some of your memories, but be so candid about others, like that one about Hiashi-sama," he commented casually in between bites. "And it seems you lie more when we discuss things of the recent past. I hope you can tell me why."

She placed her chopsticks down. "I-I think I should go. It's getting late, and no one's looking after my tent."

"It has been handled," he replied evenly, not budging from his seat. "I asked for security detail from the Hyuuga Complex earlier this afternoon. They'll be guarding your place until we arrive."

"How can you expect me to believe that when you just lied to me a few minutes ago?" she retorted.

He shrugged. "You can check for yourself—I'll walk you back. But it would make me feel better if you can just trust my words, Tenten."

It seemed calling her by name did the trick. She groaned and laid her head on the table, right next to her unfinished plate. "Fine," she grumbled, shutting her eyelids in resignation.

 _Don't make that troubled face again._ He took his handkerchief out and wiped the smudge of dumpling sauce on her cheek. As his fingers moved, he heard her whisper softly.

"Sorry."

He did not understand how that one word can suddenly cause such tightness in his chest. Funny that, when he wasn't even sure if that was meant for him. She sounded far away, as if she was half-dreaming and conversing with someone other than him.

"Don't worry about it," he answered anyway, putting away his handkerchief.

He bent closer to inspect her face and see if he missed a spot, right at the moment she opened her eyes. She let out a small gasp of surprise, not expecting him at such ridiculous proximity.

On the other hand, he pulled back, doing his best to put up a semblance of nonchalance. "Do you drink?" He suddenly felt an intense urge for alcohol that evening.

"Only when I'm happy. Or sad. Or in between." She still looked a little dazed from what happened.

"Good enough for me."

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They were seated on a park bench, each holding a can of beer. He had loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves when he noticed that the woman beside her was now free of her teal coat. He observed how well-toned her arms were, and he knew at once that they had been used for purposes beyond what normal people tend to do.

"So hot!" She fanned herself by waving the front part of her gown to simulate a small breeze. "The summer evenings are so much warmer here."

"Compared to what?" He dutifully averted her gaze from her exposed neckline.

She grinned at him. "Sharp. Have you figured my identity out at this point?"

He took a sip of his drink. "I don't know. Maybe after I finish four more of this."

"I want to know what you're thinking of right now, Hyuuga Neji. Give it your best shot."

"Alright." He leaned back against the bench. "You're not from this world."

"Okay…?"

"You're not from this time, either," he continued. "You were trained to become an assassin and were sent to this period to dispose of someone to change the course of history for your world. That person might be working in our company, hence you set up shop close to where you can monitor your prey."

He laced his hands together as he continued voicing out his deductions. "The reason you know our technology today is that you've studied them carefully, but you didn't know about events that happened five years ago because given the time constraint, you prioritized studying things that will be most likely scrutinized during your interaction." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "That's as far as I can guess."

"Not bad!" She clapped her hands delightedly. "Not bad at all! I can't wait to hear your next guess after you've had your fifth can!"

He took another gulp. "So how much of what I said was grossly and wildly inaccurate?"

To his surprise, she replied, "Just one." He watched her play with her brooch, perhaps deciding how to start.

"Like what you said, I am not from this time and world," she said slowly. "I _was_ trained as a soldier for my country, and the person I am looking for is working at your place. That's also the reason I wanted to keep him under my scope. But…"

"But?"

She tucked her knees underneath her chin, unwittingly making herself look more child-like in his watchful eyes. "But I have no intention to kill that person… in fact, the reason I am here is to see him alive and well."

"Ah." Something clicked in his brain. "Your precious friend."

She nodded. "In our world, he passed away right in front of my eyes, and I couldn't do anything… couldn't say anything. I-I even got mad at him for leaving me alone." Her eyes shook in freshly-welled pain. "I was such an idiot."

"Sorry to hear that," he said quietly.

"Time moved for everyone but me. I did my best, keeping myself busy with my weapons shop, teaching at the Academy, and accepting top-ranked missions. But when night comes, I only recall my biggest failure." She wrapped her arms around herself, strangely shivering despite the humid evening. "I can't even bring myself to visit his grave. He was my sparring partner. He was my pillar of sanity in my team that's too excitable and off-the-charts for me. He has rescued me so many times without ever making me feel helpless, because he knows how I feel about boys and girls being equally strong.

"For the many good things he has done for me, I… I could only let him down," she finished, her voice finally breaking.

"He sounded like a good person, though."

"H-He is!" she agreed, sniffling, but not without pride.

"Were you able to see him?"

She wiped her tears happily with her fingers. "I did. He's almost exactly the way I remembered, but gentler. Probably because there were no shinobi wars or much clan drama to deal with."

He wrestled with the thought of giving her his handkerchief once more, but recalling how she said the fortuneteller's precious friend treated her, he held off from his plan. "So how did you end up here?" he asked instead.

She scratched her cheek. "I'm not sure if your world has an equivalent of what I used. Genjutsu?"

He shook his head.

"Thought so." She looked up at the moon pensively. "It' supposed to be an illusion technique that distorts senses, time and space based on what the heart wishes. It isn't my forte, but it still managed to bring me here."

"Ah. An alternate world with magic, huh?"

"Yeah. It's a little hard to believe, huh?"

"Well, it's something that people here thought about at least." He brushed his hair back from his eyes with his hand, looking thoughtfully out at the distance. "According to them, reality actually consists of multiple universes branching out into various timelines to cover all possible outcomes of a person's life."

She chuckled sadly. "Oh, my friend wouldn't like that. That guy..." Fondness was evident on her face. "He used to believe that everything is controlled by fate, and that one should only accept the inevitable. But after meeting Naruto, he realized that he *could* fight against destiny."

He took another gulp of his beer silently, carefully listening to her.

"Dying by his own choice was his final act of subversion, that idiot." She clenched her fists in frustration. "And the thing is, I can understand why he did it. But I still hoped he didn't. I wish there was another way. He suffered so much since he was young, and he didn't even have that much chance to enjoy life. It's too unfair!"

He glanced at her furtively. "If what those scientists say is true, then in another timeline, he did choose to live. He lived a long, happy, and fulfilled existence that he deserved. Maybe he even did so in my timeline, which is why your Genjutsu brought you here."

Her eyes, shaken at his comforting words, met his in gratefulness. "I hope that's true. It would make me so happy if it were."

The sudden rush of emotions upon seeing her expression left him a little more unnerved than he thought. Quickly, he averted his gaze from her.

"It's kinda cool, though, imagining other versions of ourselves being thrust in the same situations, but making a different decision each time," she wondered aloud. "Having taken all the possible paths, at least you could pass on without regrets and what-ifs."

"It is reassuring, yes," he agreed. "Not having to fret whether you made the right choice or not, because another version of you took the other route anyway. So the only thing left for you is to live by the choice you made in your timeline."

Hushed silence followed as the fortuneteller nursed her drink while he continued to regard her discreetly.

"You desperately wanted to save him. Did he know?" he asked all of a sudden.

"W-WHAT?!" she sputtered, choking on her beer.

"Your intentions… they aren't particularly difficult to read, you know," he mumbled, turning to reach for another can of beer in order to hide his smile.

"Even if we've just met?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm a businessman. I read people's wishes for a living." Although, he wondered about that, too. In the barely two days he had met her, he felt that he knew her more now than the other people at the Hyuuga Complex who he had been working with for years.

"W-Well, he couldn't have known." She shrugged in what seemed to him was poorly-feigned carefreeness. "He's bad at noticing things like that. Maybe in another timeline, he did."

"Or maybe he did notice, but he never got the chance to tell you."

He fought back the urge to laugh when he saw her face redden. "Impossible!" she exclaimed, perhaps a little too quickly.

"In a many worlds scenario, nothing is impossible because everything has already happened. All paths taken, remember?"

"Right." She closed her eyes and leaned back against the bench, a satisfied smile on her lips. Perhaps it was the coaxing of the spirits, or because it was a beautiful moonlit night, but he was finding it harder and harder to ignore her.

During the whole course of their conversation, he had judiciously maintained his distance from her, as he wanted to talk to her to set things straight. But at that moment, he was perilously and senselessly drawn to her—the strange, interesting woman from another timeline who was in love with another man who had passed away.

"Don't fall asleep on me." He meant to say it in a commanding tone, but to his ears it came out as pleading.

"I won't," she promised, but her eyes were still shut.

 _Why can't you take this more seriously, damn it!_ It was nearly taking all his willpower not to reach out and touch her to his heart's content.

"Thank you, Neji."

He was at once relieved and disappointed that she spoke up, distracting him from his unwieldy hormones. "For what?"

"For everything."

"That's pretty vague."

"Nah, I'd say it pretty much covers what you've done for me, then and now." She chuckled. "I mean, all my _lives_. Many worlds, yes?" Before he could reply, she spoke again. "And as my way of expressing gratitude, I'll tell you my secret in fortunetelling."

"You're not even a real fortuneteller."

She ignored him pointedly. "It's asking. Unless I ask people questions, I will not be able to understand them. Then the tarot cards and crystal balls will lose their meaning as tools." She tipped her chin with her fingers. "Although knowing how to ask good general questions and narrowing them down to things they specifically want to hear doesn't hurt either."

"That's EXACTLY what I mean," he grumbled.

"But yesterday with Hinata-chan, my advice came from knowing what she's like in a parallel world," she added. "So, her fortune is really special, so to say."

He looked thoughtful. "Then that means you can tell me my fortune, too, based on what I am in your world, right?"

"No, I can't."

A vein popped in his head. "And why the hell not-" He froze when her hand reached out and touched his. Her grip felt cold and weak, and it now finally hit him why she wouldn't open her eyes.

"But if you see the me in this timeline, will you please befriend her?" A wistful smile crossed her face. "A pre-determined, course-correcting Universe means I will never get the chance to meet her, but knowing myself, I'm sure she will be a great friend and ally to you."

"Tenten—" He saw her hand was starting to grown translucent.

"Ah, this sucks. I wanted to stay a little longer." She pressed her hands together in apology. "Sorry, Neji. But Genjutsu breaks down when the caster has grown too weak to carry it on. And since I'm bad at it in the first place, I knew it was only a matter of time—"

He suddenly reached out and pulled her to his arms. "Stay still," he ordered, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in an embrace. "I promise I'll find the you that exists in this world, no matter how long it takes. Knowing now how interesting you are, I'm sure she won't disappoint!"

"I'm… counting on you then," she whispered, burying her head on his chest.

He could feel her body getting lighter in his arms, even when he frantically struggled to hold on to her. "And… and if I were that precious person of yours, I would have already known long ago how you feel. And I would have appreciated it so much! I would have been grateful to be remembered and loved so dearly by someone even when I have long passed on."

"N-Neji…"

"There's one thing I forgot to tell you about the multiverse theory." His mind was racing, but all he knew was he wanted to keep talking. "Do you want to hear?"

He felt her head move in a weak nod.

"Because of the infinite number of multiverse timelines in the universe, everything has already happened. But what's more, everything that happened… can happen again. That's why I'm sure you'll meet that precious person again, Tenten." He smoothed her hair with his hand. "So please, let go of your regrets."

"Then and now, you have always been the kindest and dearest to me, Neji," she murmured, raising her face to meet his. "So should things go as you say, I will gladly fall in love with you again. Again and again, till the end of infinity."

The last thing he recalled was the gentle touch of her lips on his. And just like that, Tenten the Fortuneteller was gone.

.

.

.

"Where are you now, Onee-san?" Hyuuga Hanabi whined from the other end of the line. "Father is about to throw a fit because you missed another _omiai_!"

Hinata sighed as she balanced her mobile phone in between her chin and arched shoulder. "I'm nearby. I'm just trying to gather more info about Neji-niisan's whereabouts." She pushed the doorbell of a small bungalow and waited.

"Onee-san, Neji-niisan has already explained himself during the board meeting, hasn't he?" Her younger sister's impatience was unmistakable. "He's gone for a year of sabbatical to rest, and Father has approved it."

Her forehead creased delicately. "But that didn't explain anything. Why did he need to rest? Why a whole year? Why does he look so melancholic these past few days? I wish the fortuneteller was still around so I can ask her."

"She's a fraud, Onee-san."

"Imouto-chan, I know fortunetelling is not an exact science. However, I meant to ask Tenten for an advice, not a fortune. She's a sensible person." Her eyes lit up in excitement when she heard the gates opening. "I have to go. "

"Count yourself fortunate that your marriage prospect for today skipped out on you, too—"

Hinata pressed the 'End' button and bowed respectfully at the house owner. "G-Good afternoon! I would like to ask if the dumplings store owner is available for a quick chat?"

"Alright," a male voice responded breezily. "Hey, old man! An ojou-sama wants to talk to you."

 _It's not the landlord?_ She shyly lifted her eyes from the ground and was met by the sight of a tall, yellow-haired man. He turned back to her at the same moment, and she noticed his ocean blue eyes and scratched cheeks. She also observed that he was the most good-looking man she had ever laid her eyes on—and it was the first time she was able to acknowledge such fact so readily, too.

"Are you here to file a sexual harassment case against him?" he asked, pointing his thumb at the direction of the house. "Let me know, and I can beat him up for you. That old frog still owes me money for the thousands he blew on an _onsen_."

"HEY! That was for research!" An older male with spiky, waist-length white hair appeared beside the younger blond. He was garbed in olive short skirt kimono and matching pants, as well as a traditional pair of wooden sandals. "Oh, an ojou-sama indeed!" He held up a hand in a friendly wave. "Good afternoon! I'm sorry you had to meet my poor excuse of a ward first. He must have given you the sorriest impression of me."

"I can't come up with worse descriptions than what you actually already are, perverted hermit!" retorted the handsome stranger.

"I told you not to call me that in front of beautiful, unassuming women!" The dumplings store owner turned to her again. "So you want to talk to me, Ojou-sama? Please come in."

"P-Pardon the intrusion!" She bowed and followed the eccentric male.

"Oi, why are you following us, Naruto?" asked the old man through narrowed eyes. "Didn't you say you were going to leave because it's a waste of time collecting debt from someone as pathetic as I am?"

"Are you kidding? No way am I going to leave that girl with you!" snapped Naruto, placing a protective arm around her shoulders.

 _T-Too close!_ Her face suddenly turned hot at his proximity.

Then to her utter surprise, the blond bent closer to her face and whispered conspiratorially into her ear. "Listen up, I don't think you really know who you're dealing with. This guy happens to be the most notorious pervert in town. He runs a dumplings store by day and writes erotic novels at night. His fanclub consists of under-17 virgins, and he doesn't see anything wrong with that."

"HEYYYYY!"

 _Too close, too close, too close!_ Her heart was practically bursting at its seams now.

"That's Jiraiya, a sorry-ass, perverted old man," Naruto finished his introductions solemnly, pulling back from her at last.

"And he's my godson, Uzumaki Naruto," Jiraiya was quick to add. "And he idolizes me, but he's just too shy to admit it!"

"SHUT UP, perverted hermit!"

The white-haired man peered at her closely. "Your eyes remind me of someone, Ojou-sama." He tipped her chin up with his finger to inspect her more closely. "Yes, yes. That fancy suit-wearing guy the other day. He ate dumplings with the fortuneteller."

Her face lit up at that. "Y-You remember Neji-niisan!"

"I sure do! They ordered the cheapest dumplings on the menu and paid with food coupons," the store owner replied cheerfully. "So how can I be of service to you, young miss?"

She excitedly clasped Jiraiya's hands. "M-My cousin, Neji-niisan, left the company without telling us where he intends to go. I-I thought I should start looking for him by asking the people who had last seen him."

"It's not a big deal," shrugged Naruto, gently easing off her hands from his godfather's thrilled grasp. "My dad does that every once in a while, and my mom says to let him be. He'll come back when he's hungry."

"I wish it were the same case for Neji-niisan," she said softly, "but he has looked so sad for the past few days. I was hoping there's something I can do to make him feel better. And the fortuneteller suddenly disappeared, too, which is a shame because I think Neji-niisan likes her."

"Maybe they eloped?" offered the store owner. "They looked lovey-dovey to me that evening."

 _Neji-niisan? Lovey-dovey?_ She felt her face blush at the thought of her straight-laced cousin looking so.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as he assessed the situation. "Did you try to check the things he left behind for clues? Travel itineraries? Circled dates on the calendar? Bus tickets?"

The old man winked at her. "I told you he was trained well at this."

"Do you recall him saying anything in particular that he doesn't typically say?" the blond male continued to ask.

She sadly shook her head. "N-Nothing, really. Just that he needed a year off. Neji-niisan is very organized with his things, so I didn't find anything on his table."

"Hmm." His blue eyes grew thoughtful. "The old pervert is sharp when it comes to observing people, so if he says those two are acting lovey-dovey, then it's possible that your cousin is trying to come after the missing fortuneteller."

"E-Eh?"

"So there you go, Oujo-sama. No need to worry about your cousin. He's just out there, chasing after a woman," chirped Jiraiya. "And now, you ought to go back to your mansion, or your parents will worry. What's your name, by the way?"

"It's—"

"Don't give your name out just like that, you idiot!" Naruto clamped his hand over her mouth, annoyed. "If you really are an ojou-sama, then people will target you more if they know your family name!"

She nodded mutely, face flushed.

"Good." He removed his hand. "Now go home. Will a driver pick you up?"

She nodded, despite not having notified her bodyguard yet.

"Don't lie, Ojou-sama. You're terrible at it." Naruto turned to his godfather. 'I'm seeing her off. Please don't follow us. That includes scouting us from anywhere closer than one mile, attaching GPS trackers on either me or her, or sending my dad to me as a decoy."

Jiraiya did his best to look offended. "Meanie." He then waved at her. "Bye, bye, little miss! I hope your cousin comes home soon! Drop by my store one of these days—the dumplings are on the house."

She bowed courteously at him. "Thank you, Jiraiya-san. I appreciate the time you spent with us today."

"So classy and cute!" swooned the store owner.

.

.

.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from the likes of that old guy," said Naruto smilingly as they walked out of the gates. "I've always wanted a little sister, but my parents stopped with me because they said I was already worth the ruckus of five kids."

Her eyes shook. _A little sister, huh?_ She halted walking, startling the male. It was a pathetic display of defiance, but it was the best that she could muster at the moment.

"You didn't like what I said?" he asked gently.

She nodded in response, cheeks flushed.

"Ah, I apologize. I should have thought that you have a sibling of your own, too." He placed his arms behind his head. "It must be fun being part of a big household, huh?"

 _Kami-sama!_ But she was saved from further conversation when her cellphone rang. It was Hanabi, demanding her to come home at this instant and that the driver would pick her up in a street not too far from where they were.

After saying goodbye to her sister, she turned to Naruto, who was looking at her expectantly.

"Do you have a driver coming for you now, for real?"

She nodded, smiling penitently. And as if reiterating what she said, a black limo pulled up right beside her. Her chauffeur emerged instantly from the side, bowing politely.

"Well then, I guess this is where we part." He gave her a small bow. "Take care on your way home, Ojou-sama."

 _W-Wait!_ Her mouth dropped open, but no voice came out. There were too many things she wanted to say, but too little words at her disposal at that moment.

 _I wasn't even able to tell him goodbye!_ She thought as she watched him turn his back on her and walk away. She couldn't move, horrified at her cursed reticence.

But to her surprise, Naruto raised a hand above his head. He didn't turn to face her, but he knew that the small wave he did was meant for her.

At the same time, the fortuneteller's words reverberated in her mind.

… _you'll meet an idiotic prince with hair the color of sunflower and eyes the color of the sky._

Aa huge smile spread on her face. "Naruto-kun, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 _ **A/N:** _ So I wrote this chapter after seeing an Episode 428 meme, as I am still trying to reconcile the canon ending with the fate of my favorite series OTP. This was supposed to be a oneshot, but I am writing one more chapter for NaruHina (and a bit of NejiTen resolution), no thanks to my sudden shoujo manga junkie phase.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Seven years ago…**_

99.

It was a mathematical palindrome, as well as the fifth Kaprekar number in Base 10. It could also be the sum of the cubes of three consecutive integers.

But at that moment for the twelve-year-old Haruno Sakura, it meant she failed short once again in overcoming the biggest hurdle to her dreams: Uchiha Sasuke, the Academy's acclaimed prodigy.

Her trembling fingers crumpled the test paper in anger. _Why? Why can't I defeat that cocky boy? When I've been working so hard…_ Hot tears began to fill her eyes as she thought about the countless nights she spent solely on hitting her books. She remembered coming in on the day of the exam with pale skin and dark circles underneath her eyes, while her rival looked unflappably cool and unaffected, as always.

 _So unfair!_ She was about to hurl the balled-up test paper towards the bushes when she suddenly froze. _No, no, I haven't reviewed what I got wrong yet!_ Frantically, she smoothed the paper creases against her skirt. Just as she was about to stash it in her school bag though, a gust of wind blew her test paper towards the bushes.

She paused, deciding on her next course of action, especially when she heard something rustle behind the bushes. In the end, her characteristic scientific curiosity—nosiness, as her father liked to call it—won over. She crouched down on all fours and crawled towards the source of the movement, swallowing back her fears.

 _What's the worst thing I could find anyway, roadside snakes?_ But that was the least of her worries, as she observed that the grasses smelled like citrus. She knew for a fact that snakes _hated_ that scent. Besides, there were fates worse than being bitten by a venomous snake.

A grimace formed on her face as she imagined how her mother would react upon seeing her messing around in the dirt again. _How un-ladylike! Who would take a troublesome wife like you?_ she mimicked, shaking her head at herself in mock disgust.

 _But who says I'm going to get married anyway. Why should I—_ she froze when she discovered what was on the other side of the bush.

It was not a snake, but it was still the last thing she wanted to see. It was Uchiha Sasuke himself, lying on the grass with his eyes shut. He was still wearing his school uniform, and he had a notebook strewn over his chest. His right hand held a pen, while his other arm was behind his head, supporting it like a pillow. It seemed like he was recording something on his notes, but gave up in the middle of it.

 _As expected of a cocky, lackadaisical guy like him!_

She then spotted her test paper defenselessly weighed down by his pen-holding hand. For a moment, she debated on what to do next. Should she wake him up and politely ask for her test paper back, as normal, civilized people would do? But that would mean him seeing her less than impeccable test score and proving her weakness once again before her academic rival.

Ah, there's no chance in hell she would do that. No matter what, she had to do this in stealth.

With a decision made, she quietly crept up towards him. _Slowly, carefully…_ Her hand was hovering over her prized test sheet.

And then like a flash, his hand grabbed her arm. Startled, she lost her balance and landed face first on the grass, right beside where he lay.

"Oh. It's just you." She felt his grip on her arm loosen.

"Yes, yes, it's just me. You don't have to sound so happy to see me, stupid Sasuke-kun," she said, not bothering to hide her sarcasm as she rubbed her smarting forehead.

He didn't even spare her a glance. "Why are you here?"

She popped back up and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "I was walking home when I… uh, sensed something suspicious." She would rather die before admitting that he had unwittingly taken her test paper hostage.

"So you ambush all suspicious people you meet?"

"Only you, Sasuke-kun!" Her eyes widened in embarrassment when she realized how odd that came out. "I-I mean—"

To her relief though, he didn't look like he noticed her folly. Or maybe he just didn't care, the way he offered neither response nor reaction. Either way, she hurriedly changed the topic. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Research."

Her brows knitted. "We don't have any research assigned this week. Are you trying to earn extra credit?" _So sneaky!_

He didn't reply once again, so she had to probe. No way was she going to be beaten by him in an assignment she could have missed! "What's it about?"

"Do you believe that there's more than one version of the world we live in?" he asked back. "Same characters, different scripts?"

Her first instinct was to complain that one should not respond to a question with another question, but noting how it was one of the rare times that the cold prodigy obliged with a conversation, she opted to indulge him. Pressing her hand to her chin, she thought for a moment before shrugging, "Sure. There's no conclusive evidence that it exists, but there's also none that says it _doesn't_ exist. So, I'd rather be hopeful and say it exists."

"Hopeful, huh?"

"Yup! I'd love to investigate it. I'd love to win the Nobel Prize if I end up discovering it!" She pumped her fists excitedly, imagining her grown-up self on stage, thanking her parents for their hard work that made this achievement possible, as well as encouraging all little girls to aspire for higher learning and career aspirations.

"I talked to someone on the other timeline."

Sasuke's voice interrupted her reverie. "Huh?"

"Before you ambushed me, I was able to connect to another timeline and talk to someone from there." His eyes remained trained on the starry skies overhead. "That person told me what I was like in their world."

"So what did that person say?"

He sat up stiffly and picked up the notebook that slid off his chest.

"Let me guess: the person said you were an arrogant kid and you ended up forever alone?" she smirked.

"What that person said doesn't matter as much as meeting that person."

"Oh." The smirk vanished from her face as she pondered on what he said. "So you haven't seen the person yet?"

"I only heard the person's voice."

"Bummer."

They sat in silence after that, feeling like two tiny dots floating in a vast, unknown space of the universe.

"I wonder what kind of person I am in that timeline," she then mused aloud.

"You were a medic, but in the end, you settled down and became a housewife," he replied quietly.

Her head snapped towards him, shocked. "H-How did you know… but more importantly, why would that Haruno Sakura do that? That idiot!" A vein popped up on her face. "What about her dreams? If she is truly Sakura, then she should be as smart as I am! I have to talk to her and change her mind!"

"Good luck with that then," he said somberly as he got up on his feet.

Her emerald eyes widened when she saw his intention to leave. "Hey, hey!" She jumped up, too, and then hurried towards him to dust off the twigs and leaves that stuck on the back of his shirt. "You'll look like you rolled into a giant vegetable salad—at least clean yourself up first!"

"I'm fine." He distanced himself from her immediately, as if she carried a contagious disease.

She rushed after him worriedly. "But your mom will kill you if she sees what you did to your white shirt!" Her mom never forced her to do household chores so she can focus on her studies, but in those few secretive glances she cast as she watched over her mother, she knew how laborious it was to wash their clothes, dry them out in the sun, and fold them neatly back into the dressers.

"You're annoying," he muttered, making her freeze up.

"W-What?" she whispered, feeling her cheeks burn in shame.

"Mind your own business." He tucked his notebook under his arm and walked away.

 _I'm… annoying?_ All her life, her parents and teachers had doted on her for being a smart, good-mannered, and cute girl. She had never been bullied by her classmates or called names by her playmates. _So why would he… how dare he…_

"JERK!" she yelled after him. "I'll show you! I'll find a path to that alternate world! I'll meet that person of yours before you do, I swear!"

Deep inside, she was more pumped up than she had ever felt her whole life. After all, she had found her life goals: one, to defeat Uchiha Sasuke by finding his person first, and two, to convince the Haruno Sakura of that universe to focus on her career.

Her grin widened. "Shannaro! Watch me, Sasuke-kun!"

"Watch you?"

She jumped in surprise. "S-Sasuke-kun! When did you get back?" _I didn't even sense him coming!_

He pointedly ignored her question. "Big words, considering you can't even differentiate between the cerebellum and the cerebrum," he said instead, handing her a creased test paper.

 _Oh, so that's what I got wrong?_ Irritated, she stashed her paper in her school bag. "It was just a misspelling, okay? A misspelling! I was just a little careless, geez!"

"Fine, I'll do that then."

She blinked, confused. "Do what?"

"I'll watch you." His fingers slowly reached for her. "I'll keep you on your toes so you won't be careless. In turn, make good on your promise, and then…" He gave her a light flick on her forehead. "I'll concede only to you, Sakura."

 _That boy…_ She watched him turn his back on her and walk away. Her trembling fingers unconsciously traced the spot he had touched. _I was acknowledged as his rival, wasn't I?_

"Start walking. I don't want to get scolded by my brother if I get home too late," he griped.

"I know, I know." Smiling giddily, she ran to catch up with him at the roadside.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 _ **A/N:**_ So after brainstorming, I decided to go big and add in one more pairings AND more characters to the mix. I consider this as a wish fulfillment for all the characters/ships that Kishi-sensei killed/sank. :p So yep, I'll be extending the series by one or two more chapters.

I mixed some (very) loose science concepts here and there with my plot devices, so all inaccuracies and misrepresentations are mine and mine only.

* * *

Nineteen-year-old Hyuuga Hinata stared longingly at the shut wooden door in front of her. She was seated with her knees tucked underneath, shoulders stooped in a low bow. Her muscles felt tired, truth to be told, but she didn't want to move and possibly miss her father.

"Onee-san."

She turned to her left and saw her younger sister, Hyuuga Hanabi, standing beside her in the hallway. Hanabi was still wearing her school uniform, so she surmised it was around four in the afternoon. Her sister resisted joining any after-class club, citing her commitments to the Hyuuga company. Their father, Hiashi, backed her up by donating a fairly large sum to the privately-run school. _Indeed, money is the mother of solutions to all of life's little inconveniences,_ she thought wryly.

"You've been there since this morning." Hanabi knelt down beside her and touched her hand worriedly. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

"I-I'm fine," she tried to beam reassuringly. "B-Besides, I don't want to miss Father…"

"He is a bit angry about you skipping out again on your _omiai_ ," agreed her younger sister sympathetically. "Because the guy from the other day sounded pretty important."

"But didn't he skip out on me, too?" It was one of the rare times she protested, and Hanabi of all people knew that, so her sister looked even more troubled.

"Father said it's all the more reason that you should persist. You have to show him you're a matured, patient woman and a capable wife—"

The door opened, revealing a poker-faced Hyuuga Hiashi. He refused to acknowledge his elder daughter who was bowing before him humbly, and instead, faced the younger brood. "Come to the library after you've had your change of clothes. We have things to discuss about the next deal that the Director has endorsed to us." He was referring to her cousin, Hyuuga Neji, who recently took a year-long sabbatical from the Hyuuga Group.

"Yes, Father." Hanabi dutifully bowed and walked towards her quarters.

"Father," Hinata tried again, keeping her face glued to the floor. "Please forgive me for missing the previous _omiai_. If it can be set again-"

She looked up and saw that her father was long gone.

Fighting back her tears, she got up shakily and headed for Hanabi's room. Inside, she found her younger sister struggling with her _obi_.

"Let me," she murmured, reaching for the loose end of the obi to bring it to the front, pulling its upper part to tighten its inner part. Then gracefully, she folded it an upward angle, and then pulled the Tesaki back through the fold. "Hold your yukata tight," she instructed as she pulled on both ends tightly vertically, and finished it off by placing the tare over the knot like a folding screen.

"Perfect as always, Onee-san," gushed Hanabi, admiring her sister's handiwork.

She smiled and tucked a stray wisp of her sister's bangs behind one ear. "Do your best, Hanabi. Please make Father smile—I vexed him needlessly."

Hanabi reached for a clear folder underneath her books and handed it over to her sister. "You can make it up to him. Make good on your next omiai."

She nodded weakly. Of course, she would. It was the only task her father could trust her enough to accomplish anyway.

.

.

.

Hinata scanned the files scattered on her bed—photos and information on her marriage prospects, all of whom she should meet this month. It felt like poring through her school yearbooks, inspecting which ones she shared the same interests with and who she could have befriended if only she had the guts to speak to them first.

To her disappointment, none of them shared even a sliver of the things she liked or disliked. Everything she had read felt terribly dreary, from its singular-almost-obsessive focus on assets and wealth to the kind of education these men had received abroad. She didn't particularly care about their political clout and influence in the business circles.

The things she _did_ want to read about—the books they like, the people they admire the most, what they think about the world in general—were simply absent from the sheets.

It was natural, since marriage _is_ transactional even in this age for old-wealth families like hers. In addition, she did promise herself that she wouldn't disappoint her family anymore.

 _But it's not like I want to marry only for love_ , she sighed. _It'll be great if I can marry someone I like and can live with, though._

Her eyes went to the other folder where her unsuccessful _omiai_ were filed. A professional matchmaker filed them this way so the family can review the reasons for the failures of the marriage prospects so these can be filtered out in the future.

 _Maybe I should look at these, too, in case I missed a decent person or something._ She started to flip through the sheets, but froze when her eyes caught something. Her mouth dropped open in a gasp.

 _The man who missed the last omiai …_

Spiky hair the color of the sun. Eyes the color of the ocean.

Also, the only son of the former Minister of Home Affairs and now the youngest female Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency, Uzumaki Kushina.

 _Naruto-kun!_

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"Negative," said her father's secretary somberly as he placed the receiver back to its cradle. "Uzumaki-sama is not interested to attend any _omiai_ for the rest of this year. His staff will advise us if this changes anytime soon."

"I see." She bowed politely. "Thank you very much anyway."

Hanabi, who was seated beside her, sighed audibly. "My goodness, Onee-san! Raise your head and do not bow down before your servants! It's their duty to serve you."

"But—"

Her sister signaled the secretary to leave, which the latter obeyed instantly with a polite bow of acknowledgment.

"Stop, Onee-san. You're embarrassing them!" scolded her younger sister firmly when it was only them left in the room. "It has nothing to do with your feelings and everything about their job functions. Do you want him to be punished by Father's chief of staff if he is seen being bowed to by the mistress?"

"Y-You're right," she replied feebly. Neji, who had accompanied her everywhere previously, was more tolerant about her breaking conventions. Perhaps owing to his own lower-ranked lineage despite bearing the illustrious Hyuuga family name, he had more sympathy for the working class than anyone else in the family.

"Enough about that." Her sister flipped her hair over her shoulders and assumed a businesslike-look. "So what's your next plan now? Are you moving on to your next marriage prospect?"

She nervously played with the ends of her hair. "I… the truth is… I've met Naruto-kun already. A-And I think he's a very kind person, and I..." Her voice trailed off as she lost the battle of wills.

"Who's this Naruto—" Hanabi's confusion turned to surprise. "Wait, wait—Naruto-kun, as in _the_ Uzumaki Naruto you were supposed to meet in the previous _omiai_? The guy who skipped on you? The one that we tried calling today?"

She nodded dumbly.

"B-But how did you two meet? Does he know you're the woman he was supposed to meet?" the girl sputtered, her façade of coolness suddenly lost in her child-like astonishment.

"We met while I was looking for Neji-niisan." She shook her head. "But he said I should not tell him his name, in case someone overhears and makes me a kidnapping target."

"And you didn't know he was your next marriage prospect?" Hanabi looked like she was torn between bewilderment and laughter.

Again, she shook her head. "I-I didn't read my _omiai_ files. Neji-niisan used to take care of those things for me." However, she did castigate herself earlier for not making the connection between his last name and the revered political figure. It seemed she was too sheltered, too proud, and too quick to reject things that did not interest her, despite them having such a large influence in both her personal life and her family affairs.

 _Had it been Hanabi…_

"Aaaargh!" Her little sister buried her face on her palms in despair. "And just when my poor, innocent, and frigid Onee-san finally met somebody she likes!"

"F-Frigid?!" Her face flushed hotly.

"You're nineteen and have never known a man. Should I call you a 'late bloomer' instead?"

She got up in a hurry, eager to extricate herself from her younger sibling's torturous teasing. "I-I'll ask his godfather and see if I can get another chance at setting up an _omiai_. Father won't be so upset with me anymore if he knows that the date with Uzumaki Naruto-kun had gone through, am I right?"

Hanabi nodded enthusiastically. "That's the spirit! What will cheer him up is knowing that you did your best and you were not half-hearted at all!"

"Very well then. I'll see you later, Hanabi." She exited the room, and then picked up her phone to alert the driver about her need for car service.

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"Welcome-OH!" Jiraiya broke into an excited grin when he saw her enter the stall. "If it isn't our little Oujo-sama. Welcome to my humble shop!"

She smiled warmly in response. "Good afternoon, Jiraiya-san. I would like to order a dozen shrimp dumplings to go, and a platter of four separately. I will be eating that here."

"Right away!" He gave her a quick salute, and then disappeared inside the kitchen. Meanwhile, she grabbed the opportunity to rehearse her inquiries to the kindly store owner about her marriage prospect. _Is there a way for your godson and I to talk in-person? Can Naruto-kun please assist me in salvaging my relationship with my estranged father?_

She sighed. If her Neji-niisan was still by her side, he would have effortlessly found a way to contact Uzumaki Naruto. He was that skilled and resourceful, which was why her own father considered him his most trusted person in the company.

"Here ya go! "The white-haired man presented her platter with a flourish. "My little miss deserves only the best-tasting shrimp I've cooked for today."

She blushed happily at the man's vocal affection for her. "Thank you so much, Jiraiya-san!" _Is this how a father's love for his daughter feels? I wonder._

"So are you still looking for your cousin?" he asked, sitting down across her.

"U-Um…"

"Because he was here yesterday," he continued breezily.

Her grip on her chopsticks tightened. "N-Neji-niisan was here?" Momentarily, she forgot her worries as relief and happiness flooded her heart. _He's safe!_

Jiraiya nodded smilingly. "That's right! I told him about you, and he wants to let you know that he, _er_ , deeply apologizes for worrying you. He says he's doing well, and that he'll call you soon to explain everything."

"I'm so relieved." She pressed one hand against her chest, eyes shut as if uttering a silent prayer of thanks. _I wish we can talk soon. I have so many questions to ask him—so many things to tell him about…_

"He also met Naruto."

Her eyes immediately flapped open. "N-Naruto-kun?"

Jiraiya nodded, a curious glint in his eyes. "That bastard's a real busybody. He saw your cousin reading a scientific article of some sort, and instantly, he bragged about knowing one of the authors. He ended up dragging your cousin to her lab."

"I-Is that so…" Her heart was pounding as she wondered if Neji accidentally let slip anything about her. He was normally discreet and sensitive, but for some reason, her heart couldn't be reassured as easily as before. "I wonder what they talked about."

"Why don't you ask him directly?"

 _Eh?_

With that, the old man waved cheerfully to someone behind her. "Oi, Naruto, look who came here to see us!"

 _EH?!_

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"Water?" Haruno Sakura traced her fingertip across the space beside it. "Ice? Steam?" She repeated her gesture to be sure. "Water… ice… steam? I-Is it really…?"

"…I-It is!" Her eyes lit up at the joyful realization. "It's there! My proof! My branching micro-universe—my creation existing in all states! This is awesome!" She nearly toppled over her mug of coffee as she let out a whoop of joy. "I have to get this documented! I have to—wait, wait, DON'T DISAPPEAR! DON'T! Ugh, shoot!" She watched helplessly as the particles all vanished, leaving a small puddle of water as the lone proof of her breakthrough.

"Damn, I hate quantum particles," she grumbled. "You can never expect them to stay put in one place. Like men."

"If you're cracking stupid science jokes, then I guess you're alright now."

She was too tired to even get mad at the person speaking on the on-screen video. "Hello, Sasuke-kun. How was the convention?" she asked lamely.

"Mind-numbingly boring, as usual."

The chat apps installed on several of their computers were set to auto-answer video calls so they wouldn't have to be disturbed over a number of keystrokes while in the middle of their work. Since then, it had doubled as a nannycam of some sort, allowing them to observe specimens they've set up in front of the cameras. Unfortunately for today, that specimen inevitably ended up as her, thanks to the water particles that refused to stay put.

"After looking at crazy, rotten spoiled freaks of science for a few weeks now, I would be happy to find something as consistent as the boredom of conferences," she lamented as she placed her head wearily against the table.

"We can attend the next one," he offered after a moment of pause.

She traced a circle on her desk with her finger. "Nah. I'll regret it when I come around. I hate being around those sexist jerks." That was half-truth: the bigger reason was she didn't want to put her childhood friend in a bad place, having to defend her from the rest of their peers. Thanks to her inner Sakura, she had a secret outlet for all her frustrations whenever someone angered her. Sasuke did not have one, though. One time, she was barely able to stop him from punching the lights out of a colleague who tried to heckle her during one of her presentations, and then aggressively confront her on her way home.

"So you had guests come over yesterday?"

"How did you know?"

"There's more than one mug on your table."

 _Oh._ She forgot to wash those, as she was too preoccupied with today's work. "Naruto brought over a friend who's interested in our research. He told us something interesting."

"Ah."

 _Hmm?_ Frowning, she moved closer to the computer screen to get a better look at her friend. "Are you feeling well? You sounded weird back there."

"I'm fine," came his curt response. "What did you talk about?"

She stepped back, satisfied that Sasuke was back to being his usual advanced menopausal-stage self. "I'll tell you more when you get here."

"You said the _dobe_ was with you then?"

She grinned upon hearing his pet name for their other childhood friend. "Yup!'

"Why is heback so soon from his deployment? Did the SDF run out of _ramen_ rations because of him?" he asked.

"According to him, you should start addressing him as Lieutenant Colonel," she replied, not without pride.

"Ah. So he came home to brag about getting another star on him. What is he, a preschooler?"

"You're such a no-good grouch, Sasuke-kun." She managed to crack a sleepy smile. "Know what? You and I should both rest up a bit."

"Please do." His tone softened. "Use the futon."

"I'm good. I don't intend to sleep too long anyway." She rested her cheek against the crook of her arms and closed her eyes, exhausted. "So what time will you be back?" she asked, hazily recalling his return flight schedule from Germany.

"Soon."

"Eh? But I was planning to welcome you with flowers and a marching band!"

"Sleep, Sakura," he commanded firmly.

As if his words were a trigger, she was soon snoring softly and dreaming about dancing quarks and a bossy, dark-haired man that refused to stay still.

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She was woken up by a light touch on her forehead. "I'm back," a familiar male voice spoke.

"Welcome home," she automatically replied, yawning. Then realizing she was in the lab and not back at home with her parents, her eyes flapped wide open. "I-I mean, welcome back! T-To Japan, that is." Consciously, she wiped her drool with the sleeve of her coat.

Sasuke didn't seem to mind her greeting slip-up or her disheveled appearance. She watched him slip out of his dark blue blazer and undo the first two top buttons of his pale blue shirt.

 _Sakura, you idiot!_ she gasped when she realized that she was practically watching him strip. Quickly, she turned away, face flaming.

"Here," she heard him speak from behind. And then his arms reached out from behind her office chair to place a couple of small jars on her table.

"What are these?" She hunched over and peered at the fine, creamy-looking pudding bathed in different hues of red.

"Griessbrei," he replied, settling on the office chair beside her. "My host said its syrup was cooked with pomegranate juice."

"T-Thank you so much!" She was secretly touched that he remembered the fact that she loved food with syrup the most. "How about you, Sasuke-kun? You had a long flight. Would you like anything to eat?" Her eyes stole a glance at the on-screen clock. _6PM—does this lie within the normal parameters of dinner hours?_ "How about riceballs?"

"Later." He crossed one leg over the other. "Tell me first about that interesting conversation you had with your guest."

"Ah." She felt silently thankful for a work-related conversation opening. "I talked to a guy named Hyuuga Neji. He said he was following our research on Everett's many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, particularly our theory on stacking multiverses."

He nodded.

Their joint dissertation posited that alternate timelines were "stacked" on top of each other, with the bottom-most layer serving as the perpetual observer that can see all the timelines, and the succeeding layers as the many worlds. Each layer of reality can only be viewed by those residing within the same layer, but that there was a possibility to "peek" into another layer by tapping on the senses of the version of that person in order to experience that layer.

The tricky part was quantifying the said experience. It was already established that measurement is the death of quantum mechanics at work—the particle's existence in all states ceases to be and collapses into a singular, observable state. Their research goal was to introduce a communication tool that would not disrupt the wave function so they could maintain a bridge to the other timeline.

It was something Sasuke was able to do as a child, though as to how he had done it, until now he could not break down into process.

"He told me he recently had an encounter with a woman who claims to come from a different timeline. A flesh and blood encounter, that is," she continued evenly.

"I hope you were able to confirm that his story was not aided by substances or active imagination." He received dozens of science fiction pitches from his e-mail all the time.

"I sought Naruto's help in confirming their identities through his mother's connections. We'll hear back from him pretty soon," said Sakura as she took a sip of her last night's coffee. "For the time being, let's discuss this thing that the woman mentioned."

"Namely?"

"Genjutsu."

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.

Sasuke saw his friend's emerald eyes turn colder and harder, as he would usually notice them do whenever she was discussing her work before peers. It seemed like a defense mechanism of every woman who had the misfortunate desire to work in the male-dominated scientific community.

"Apparently, the woman crossed over to our timeline using illusions." She leaned forward, her cheeks flushed in excitement. "And based on what Hyuuga-san told me, she came from a timeline where people had honed their use of _chakra_ , on top of possessing nearly the same technologies as we have."

"So going by our stacking theory, this means she reached this timeline because it was the one stacked closest to theirs," he inferred. "Therefore, their circumstances matched ours the most."

A satisfied smile sprawled on her face. "That's right! If the universe was a big decision tree of all possible fates, the most similar branches will be grouped together."

His forehead creased. "How does this _genjutsu_ work then? What is its counterpart in our world?"

"I was just getting to that!" she barked at him impatiently. "According to him, the woman disappeared from our timeline because she ran out of energy and has grown weak. I suppose that is the _chakra_. I assume people who know how to make use of this power channel them in a way that manipulates their target's five senses, thus creating an illusion."

"BUT," she said loudly, emphasizing that she was about to present her hypothesis, "what if during the process, that woman ended up tapping on the senses of the version of herself in this timeline? Couldn't that explain why she suddenly had the ability to fully experience this world?"

She bent down towards him and pounded both sides of the armrest with her fists so he could not escape her passionate exposition. "Think, Sasuke-kun! What if not all illusions were shortcomings of our compensating senses, but are actually channels to experience the alternate worlds?"

His nose caught a faint whiff of her familiar floral scent.

 _This is not good._ When the brilliant mathematician and theorist Haruno Sakura was in her element, she tended to focus solely on the ideas she wanted to express and forget everything else.

Such as how desirable she looked when she was all fired up.

 _And this is exactly why I don't want her to argue with anyone else but me._

He subtly tried to lean away, but grew dismayed when he found that he was trapped by the back of his seat.

"What if illusions are the only way we can experience the alternate timelines because we can't measure quantum-based realities with tools specifically made for classical physics? What if we can simulate _genjutsu_ and communicate with people from there to find out how they do it?" she rattled off, drawing closer and closer to his face.

Deep down he understood why the other scientists have always treated Haruno Sakura poorly despite proving her capability for the job—because people who have isolated themselves in the shadows would be damn terrified of suddenly seeing pure radiance burst out right before their very eyes.

She pursed her lips in contemplation, while his eyes inexplicably got drawn to her action.

"Besides, aren't we already testing quantum entanglement for delivering encrypted messages? Maybe we can model our own test after that—"

His body acted on its own before he could think.

His hands suddenly reached for the back of her head, his fingers losing themselves beneath her rose-colored mane in the process. As he pulled her down to him, the fragrance of cherry blossoms and Kyoto rose petals completely imbued his senses, enticing him to forget and disappear in this brief moment of madness.

"W-What are you doing?" she hissed, shakily placing her hands on his broad shoulders, stopping their lips from meeting by mere inches.

He could not come up with a response, as his mind drew a blank. All he was aware of was her racing pulse and her soft, white hands that trembled against his body, and that this was the first time in years that he had really seen her up close. It felt as pleasant as he imagined, and then more.

Her eyes burned in ire. "Silencing a girl with a kiss when she's too noisy, is that it? What a low trick to pull on your rival, you bastard!"

He blinked. He may not fully understand what compelled him to move so imprudently now when he had vigilantly kept his distance from her for seven years, but he was at least pretty certain that it was not to shut her down from speaking her mind.

"I get it." She pulled back from him angrily. "You think I'm acting like an irrational, emotional woman instead of a scientist, and that pissed you enough to actually do something about it. Did you even listen to my ideas?"

"I did." _As I always do._ For her brilliant mind always fascinated him like so.

"I wonder about that. Because to me, right now, you're behaving just like those other stupid men in the conferences, Sasuke-kun!" A frustrated tear streaked down her cheek, and she furiously brushed it away.

"That… was never my intention at all," he said quietly.

"W-Were you really going to kiss me then?" she asked, sniffling a bit.

"I don't know." That much he knew was true. He was simply overwhelmed by the need to have her as near to him as possible. He sorely missed her presence when he was in Germany for a whole week, and even more so when he learned she entertained someone else in the lab while he wasn't around. And then all of a sudden, she was in front of him again: smiling, lecturing, calling his name…

"WHAT WAS THAT THEN?" she exploded, startling him. "A little hormonal overdrive? Pheromones gone wild? Don't you know that you should only do things like that with the one you…" She turned her back on him and stomped away. "YOU BIG BLOCKHEAD!"

"Why are you running away?" he called after her. It didn't take too long for him to realize that his question only compounded his mistake.

"I HAVE TO! Because I'm hungry, so that means you are, too, and it's a woman's duty to make sandwiches for you men, IS IT NOT?!" she yelled back from the pantry. He heard the door slam loudly, and he knew that was that.

Groaning, he collapsed on his seat and speed-dialed the only person he could ask about the situation at hand. As expected, the person answered on the first ring.

"Nii-san, how do you properly apologize for doing something wrong?"

Uchiha Itachi's response came swift. "First, you get a lawyer. Then tell him everything. Then go to the police with him and tell them everything that your lawyer told you to say. "

"No, I meant to a woman. How do you apologize to a woman?"

"Same advice."

 _Really?_

"That is why it is always a bad idea to anger a woman," solemnly added one of the Ministry of Justice's most promising public prosecutors.

"She told me she was hungry, too…"

His brother made a clicking sound with his tongue. "My heart goes out to you, little brother. Truly, it does."

He remained silent as he tried to sort out his thoughts.

"Is it Sakura-chan?"

Silence.

"But of course. Who else is there that can bother my foolish little brother like so?"

He hated it when his 25-year-old brother acted like… well, a brother.

"Just be honest with her," Itachi finally said, and he could imagine his brother's lanky frame shrugging. "Tell her about the girl you talked to when you were twelve."

"How odd to hear a lawyer talk big about honesty all of a sudden," he remarked dryly.

"Indeed. Lawyers with troublesome little brothers have to carry this type of burden." Itachi disappeared briefly from the other end of the line, and he could hear him talking to someone else. His fellow prosecutor and lifelong best friend, Shishui, most probably.

When he returned, he now sounded in a hurry. "I need to go. It seems the judge for tomorrow's case will be Hiruzen Sarutobi, so Shishui and I would have to put him in a good mood before the other lawyer gets to him."

"Hurry up! Hatake Kakashi is bringing him a new _Come Come Paradise_ hardcover!" yelled Shishui from some distance.

"Make amends with Sakura-chan. No one else would be able to tolerate your hang-ups but her anyway. Besides, Mother would have liked her a lot."

Great. He played the "dead parents" card again.

"Later!" Then Itachi's voice on the line was replaced by the phone's busy tone.

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"Well now, it's great to see you again, Oujo-sama!" greeted Uzumaki Naruto as he sat down the stool beside her. "Did your sister give you an earful for getting home late the other night?"

She shook her head nervously.

"I'm glad!" He turned to Jiraiya, who was watching them in gleeful interest. "Perverted old man, I'd like a platter of twelve dumplings, three from each of your premium variants!"

The store owner gave him a dubious look. "We only take cash or coupons. No credits and any form of goodwill are accepted."

"How dare you! You still owe me from that onsen incident!"

"Look, I talked to your dad already-"

"Dad is a softie! I'll tell my mom instead!"

 _He's talking about Uzumaki Kushina_ , _the red-hot habanero of the government, despite being the only one of two female members of the cabinet!_ she thought, awe-struck.

"Fine. I hope you're happy, bullying an old man who makes his living through dumplings."

"And ero-novels," reminded the blond male.

Jiraiya was quick to protest. "That's just a hobby!"

"Then get more decent hobbies, perverted old man!" As soon as his godfather was gone, Naruto turned to her, grinning. "So, do you like that old man's dumplings so much that you personally came here to eat?"

 _Say it, Hinata. Ask him for another omiai!_ She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice wouldn't cooperate.

"Oh, I know! It's about Neji, right?" he asked cheerfully. "You came here to search for more clues!"

She bit her lip, unsure how to bring up the _omiai_ now.

His blue eyes mellowed. "Don't be sad, Oujo-sama. I got to meet him yesterday and he's doing fine. You shouldn't worry too much!"

"I-I'm glad," she murmured. "I'd like to know what he's doing now, though."

He rubbed his chin with his finger. "I didn't really understand everything he was saying, but I think he mentioned having recently met a woman from another time."

"Fortuneteller-san?" she asked. _He's looking for Tenten-san after all!_

He nodded thoughtfully. "I think so, yeah. But anyway, I introduced him to Sakura-chan because she's the smartest person I know. If there's someone who can come up with great ideas, it's gotta be Sakura-chan!"

Jiraiya appeared, holding a platter of dumplings. "The Ojou-sama looks confused. Why don't you tell her about her rival?"

Hinata suddenly had a fit of coughing as Naruto frantically handed her a glass of water.

"Haha, the Old Man is just teasing you!" said the blond-haired male as he rubbed her back comfortingly. "Sakura-chan is really nice and I'm sure you'll be great friends! Besides, the only person she considers her rival is that bastard." He snapped his finger. "Oh yeah, I have our picture!" He brought out his mobile phone and showed her the lock screen.

She peered at the pink-haired, emerald-eyed woman hugging Naruto and a dark-haired male together so they can all fit in the photo. From behind, a white-haired young man seemed to be posing for the photo, too.

"That photobomber is Kakashi-sensei, our tutor. After we graduated, he went on to practice law. Apparently, he was really a lawyer, but as a favor to my dad, he looked after the three of us." He then pointed to the dark-haired male. "That smug bastard is Sasuke. Sakura has always wanted to beat him in grades and stuff, while I wanted to just plain beat him up."

"He says that, but he actually thinks the world of Sasuke, his brother from another father and mother," smirked Jiraiya, sitting across them. "They've been friends since they were young."

"T-That's amazing!" she murmured, making Naruto smile.

He pointed to the woman. "And that's Sakura-chan. She's got the biggest crush on me since forever, but I kept on rejecting her because I want her to selfishly follow her dreams."

"Lies," said Jiraiya, waving his hand dismissively.

 _Ah, so this is the woman that Naruto-kun likes._ She sighed quietly—now she was sure there was no way anymore that she could bring up the possibility of another _omiai_.

"Ojou-sama!"

She looked up, then gasped as Naruto suddenly clasped her hand. "Let's pay them a visit at the lab. Then Sakura-chan can tell you more about your cousin and the person he's looking for."

She glanced at her wristwatch. "A-Anou…"

"It's fine! Give me your guardian's number," beamed Naruto.

After copying the phone number of her father's secretary, he excused himself quickly to make a phone call outside. Her eyes followed him worriedly.

"Don't worry, Oujo-sama," said Jiraiya soothingly. "You can trust that brat. If it's for someone he already considers a friend, he'll do anything for that person."

"B-But he doesn't even know my name," she protested.

"What's in a name?" the old man asked kindly. "To us, you're Oujo-sama. You are looking for your cousin on your own, despite the number of house servants you possibly have for your disposal. Someone as classy as you are is eating heartily in my humble dumplings store, and you even pay cash for it, too. You showed me nothing but courtesy and smiles, despite my godson describing me as if I were a living criminal sketch.

"So the fact that we don't know your name, that doesn't matter to us," concluded Jiraiya, messing her ebony hair fondly. "You are our Oujo-sama, and that is all we need to know."

Warmth and gratitude filled her heart as she shut her eyes tight to bid away the happy tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. _I am so lucky to have met these wonderful people. Thank you, Kami-sama._

"I'm back!" Naruto announced cheerfully. "Rin-san says she's got everything handled. Let's go, Oujo-sama!" He held out his hand to her.

"Yes!" She nodded enthusiastically, and accepted his inviting hand.

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.

Yamanaka Ino felt a hand lightly touch her cheek, waking her up from her nap. When she opened her eyes, she saw Sai's smiling face a mere couple of inches away from her face.

A vein popped on her head. "What are you doing so close to me?"

"I but wanted to wake Yamanaka-sensei up," he purred, meek as a lamb.

She planted her palm on his forehead and pushed him back forcefully. "Please think of another way to wake me up next time."

"A kiss perhaps, like in those fairytales you like so much?" he offered affably.

How did he know about that? Probably part of the field notes he got from her silly father. "Do that, and heavens forbid, I will inject you with massive dosages of Demerol while you are sleeping."

"I love it when you engage me with your medical dirty talk, Sensei!" He clapped his hands in utter delight. "Shall I just take care of your seatbelt then?"

"Leave that to me," she said curtly, unbuckling it before he got close to her again. Her eccentric driver had a particular penchant for skinship.

"By any chance, did you jilt a lover this evening, Sensei?" he asked breezily.

"What do you mean?" she asked warily as she reached for her briefcase and her doctor's coat. After saying goodbye to her first love months ago, she had buried herself in medical missions to help her get over the pain productively. She neither had the time nor the proclivity to pick up another distraction in her life.

"There's a beautiful, long-haired man in suit standing by the gates. He looks like he's waiting for you," reported Sai, a jovial smile still in place, but his eyes had gone hard as steel. She was now looking at her trusted bodyguard at work, the reason her father specifically chose Sai to be by her side as she roamed the most remote regions of the country to render medical services.

"Please stay here, Sensei. Lock all your doors. I will be right back," he instructed smoothly before exiting the car.

After doing everything she was told, she peered at the car windshield to watch what was happening. It seemed Sai and the man were talking casually. After a few moments, both men bowed at each other, and then Sai returned to the car.

"He wants to know if you had previously treated a certain patient. It seems he's looking for his most precious friend, and that information will be helpful," her trusty protector reported. "Would you like to accommodate his inquiry this evening?"

She peered at the man still standing by the gates. "He must have come a long way. Since it might take some time to go through all my records, let's have him stay for the night."

"Ah, a threesome! What fun!"

She could only roll her eyes at him in exasperation. She had long learned never to take this person seriously. Her father, Inoichi, adopted Sai a few weeks ago as per the recommendation of a concerned family friend. However, they had been forewarned that the man had an unusual way of interacting with people. Nonetheless, he was trained to protect people and possessed unbelievably keen senses, and that was good enough for Yamanaka Inoichi.

Sai honked at the visitor twice—probably an impromptu code they agreed upon during their conversation—and the latter bowed gratefully.

"Oh, did the man mention what the patient's name was?" she asked curiously.

He grinned. "Indeed. It's an adorable name, I think: Rock Lee."

Recognition flashed in her cerulean eyes, and as always, her bodyguard did not fail to notice it.

"Curioser and curioser," he remarked as he started maneuvering the car into the parking space.

.

.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Chapter 3

_Fourteen-year-old Yamanaka Ino let out a deep sigh as she stared at the useless chocolate on her hand. Earlier, she had finally mustered the guts to approach the aloof Uchiha Sasuke to offer him her homemade Valentines chocolate._

 _As the only child of a wealthy and sought-after florist, she grew up with the privilege of having a maid to tend after her needs. Hence, cooking had never been one of her strengths. But this week, she had spent HOURS learning how to bake the perfect chocolate recipe—all because she wanted the opportunity to give Uchiha Sasuke her culinary masterpiece, and probably confess her feelings for him._

 _She schemed for ways to get him alone and away from his crowd of fan girls, and she succeeded. She managed to make up an excuse for him and her to be alone in the classroom, under the guise of having failed a Biology test and her teacher being subtly convinced by her to let Sasuke tutor her after-class._

 _Eagerly, she offered him her heart-shaped chocolate, anticipating his reaction. But all she got was a politely anemic, "Thank you, but I don't like sweets."_

Maybe Sakura-chan and I could just eat these while watching a chick flick, _she thought, feeling down. Her studious best friend wasn't a fan of the genre, but if the pink-haired girl knew the extent of her sadness and how sacrificing two hours of what she viewed as IQ-offensive plots and cheesy dialogues would mean a lot to her, Sakura would surely yield._

 _Her reverie was interrupted by a group of ranting irate upperclass girls._

" _Uchiha Sasuke-kun didn't take my chocolate, too! And I spent my week's allowance for it, grrr!"_

 _She hid a smug smile. It felt good for her wounded ego to know that she was not alone in being rejected by the aloof school heartthrob._

" _But did you hear? They said that when Haruno was distributing chocolates to everyone, Uchiha -kun actually approached her to ask for his chocolate!"_

 _Ino's mouth dropped open in shock._

" _You think those two are going out?" asked one girl, obliviously passing by the frozen blonde._

" _No way, no way!"_

" _Nuh-uh, YES way! He never showed interest to anyone in school except that angry, nerdy girl!"_

" _But she's his main rival for class topnotcher. I see only their names alternating at the first rank. It's like… they have their own world, those two, and we only exist to them as side characters."_

" _You're overthinking it, Ka-chan!"_

" _I'm not!" Then the girls burst into a round of giggles, having forgotten their initial ire with the school prince after having vented out._

 _Meanwhile, Ino fought back her tears as she slowly headed for the school exit. All those wasted efforts to cook… all those wasted times daydreaming of a SasuIno relationship... yet Haruno Sakura, who was looked down on by the whole class for being a teacher's pet and for her obsessive fixation with boring things like science and math, didn't even have to try in order to capture Uchiha Sasuke's eye._

So unfair…

" _Ino-chan!"_

 _Oh no, this was the LAST person she wanted to meet at this point._

" _Ino-chan, wait up!" Haruno Sakura fell to a step beside her. "I heard you flunked a Bio quiz earlier. I didn't want to believe it—that's your favorite subject! You grew up with plants around you, for goodness' sake! What happened?"_

" _N-Now's not a good time, Sakura-chan," she murmured lamely. Now her plans of downing tubs of ice cream while being comforted by her most adoring fan had gone down the drain, too._

" _Nonsense! Let's set up a study session later, Ino-chan, while the test materials are still fresh in your mind," decided Sakura briskly. "I don't know what happened, but knowing you, I'm sure this was all a fluke!"_

 _She felt something akin to a rope snap within her. "Oh, you KNOW me, Sakura-chan? Are you sure?" Ino bellowed, catching the surrounding students' attention._

 _Sakura's emerald eyes widened in surprise, yet just as quickly, she smiled brightly at her. "O-Of course! I've known you since we were kids. I know you're smarter than that."_

 _Her insides reeled as she took in what she perceived was condescension on her best friend's part. "Who died and made you the arbiter of smarts?" She placed a hand on her waist, eyeing her challengingly. "Just because you're always competing with Sasuke-kun at the top doesn't mean you're already better than us!"_

" _Y-Yeah!" One of the female spectators cried, followed by buzzes of agreement._

 _Sakura, who until that point only knew the social spotlight whenever she delivered reports in front of class, looked shell-shocked. Ino's mouth twisted cruelly, and continued, "Bet you're feeling mighty good of yourself now, huh? You're the only one he took a Valentine chocolate from. "_

" _I-It was an obligation chocolate," protested her best friend, face flushed._

" _Does he know that? Does he?" she snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You stole him from us! Acting all goody-goody and pretending to be his rival, but deep inside—"_

" _That's right!"_

" _You're such a poser, Haruno!"_

" _Slut!"_

 _As she watched angry tears pool on her childhood friend's eyes, Ino suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to throw up in disgust with herself. Why? How could she say these terrible things to Sakura? Why did she incite everyone into bullying her friend, who was painfully shy and terrible in dealing with people except when with her?_

What have I done?

" _ENOUGH!" Sakura slammed her fist on the nearby locker, the deafening sound of crash stunning nearly everyone in the hallway. "Yamanaka Ino, you disappointed me. To stoop so low for someone who doesn't even care about you—"_

 _That stung. But Ino knew it was true. Despite the fact that the prettiest girl in the school year was sitting right across him in the empty classroom earlier, it seemed Uchiha Sasuke didn't really see her. To him, she might as well have been another piece of classroom chair._

" _Real women don't dumb themselves down for anyone!" declared Sakura, eyes ablaze. "You aren't a woman to me, stupid Ino-chan… no, you're now Ino-pig! Ino-pig! Ino-pig!"_

" _Y-You've got the guts to come at me, Forehead Girl! Get off your high horse, Forehead Girl! Forehead Girl!"_

" _Ino-pig, Ino-pig!"_

" _Forehead Girl! Forehead Girl!"_

 _The spectators sweatdropped as the name-calling went on. Eventually, the crowd began to thin out till their school doctor, Tsunade, walked in slightly drunk from the neighborhood pachinko and managed to separate the warring friends._

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

For applecherry and Cael05.

* * *

"So how does that all relate to the person I am looking for?" asked Hyuuga Neji when he finally found an opening after listening to Yamanaka-sensei's woes for an hour.

The blonde doctor looked irritated. "I told you! It's because Rock Lee was my patient who wasn't supposed to be able to walk anymore after a freak accident at a martial arts tournament, but after I referred, his case to Tsunade-sensei, she was able to help him regain the use of his legs!"

"Tsunade-sensei, as in the school doctor in your story who went gambling during school hours?" he asked, wanting to make sure.

To which, Ino rolled her eyes. "Oh good god, Hyuuga-san! How do you get through life just judging everyone you hear about?"

"I wasn't—" Neji groaned and held up his hands in surrender. He grew up with two beautiful, well-behaved cousins, and he was just starting to learn the odder, more baffling sides of women. "So where is Rock Lee now?"

Rock Lee was his remaining slim hope of finding this world's Tenten. Previously, he had searched for Tenten's name in family registries in Japan, thanks to the connections of Uzumaki Naruto, who he coincidentally met in the dumplings shop. The search turned up nothing but irrelevant results—either they were too old or too young. This meant either Tenten had a different name in this timeline, or she has not been registered yet because she was illegally smuggled into the country as a child.

Either way, Neji knew he was screwed… until he chanced upon an old news article while searching the national archives. It was about an up and coming martial arts athlete who won yet another belt. He was quoted in the story thanking everyone, including 'my friend Tenten, who pummels me when I don't do my chores. It's the reason my bones and muscles grew big and strong!'

Rock Lee was easier to investigate, as he found some fame in his field. In several images, he spotted those familiar brown buns in the background, wearing a Chinese-style blouse. But the photos were always too far away for him to see her face, what with the focus on Lee instead.

But deep down, he knew it was her.

The last piece of news he found was the unfortunate accident he met while competing nationally, which rendered his legs useless. He abruptly disappeared from the scene, along with his mentor. And Tenten.

Their last transactions with the government provided the address of Rock Lee's last-known physician—Yamanaka Ino.

And that was how he ended up listening to an awkward, girlish tale of broken hearts and friendship from middle school years.

He was grateful when Ino seemed to have lost interest in recounting her other sad high school memories in favor of addressing his concerns at hand. "That's the thing, Hyuuga-san. Rock Lee dropped by after his successful operation, but he didn't tell me any specific place he and his family are planning to head for," said Ino thoughtfully. "I didn't ask, either. That goes beyond what a doctor should ask her former patient."

"Was he with anyone then?" asked Neji anxiously. "A brown-haired girl with an odango hairstyle?"

"Ah, you mean Tenten?"

 _YES!_ Neji could have nearly fallen on his knees in joy and relief upon hearing her name. He was on the right track after all!

Ino tipped her chin. "She's with him, alright. They've been inseparable since they were kids, according to their foster parent. I got to talk to them a bit while trying to learn about my patient."

"The foster parent's name?"

"Maito Gai."

"Got it." Neji pulled out a small notebook from the pocket of his blazer and started to write.

That got the perky doctor curious. "Are you some kind of a reporter or something?"

"No, I'm not."

"I believe you. Can't imagine someone as boring as you are doing that for a living. Thank goodness he made you a looker, at least." Ignoring the vein that popped on her visitor's head, she continued, "What I know is both were orphaned at very young ages, and Gai-sensei picked them up from an orphanage he once visited. He pitied the conditions of the infants, and the caretakers were just happy to get them off their hands…"

Neji was furiously writing down everything, regardless of his hesitation on each detail's relevance to his search. In his mind he imagined what the pink-haired mathematician told him about Everett's web—everything happens for a reason, and it was not due to some divine entity's capricious maneuvering: it was the result of everything being linked by things that had already happened somewhere else, and may happen again in the future.

He would be damned if he miss an important clue just because he arbitrarily decided its significance.

"Hyuuga-san, have some tea."

He did a double take when he saw the pale-faced driver—Sai, if he recalled the name correctly—dressed in a frilly pink apron, holding a tray of tea and a bowl of dainty cakes with toothpicks.

"Thanks, Sai," said Ino, looking nonchalant. "Hyuuga-san, you don't need to look so surprised. My father is paying him good money to be everything I want him to be."

"Yamanaka-sensei doesn't know how to cook without resorting to arson," quipped the driver helpfully.

"Sai, what did I say the last time about what will happen if you let your mouth run off again?"

"Yes, Yamanaka-sensei. Allow me to stand in the corner so I can do a pirouette while reflecting on my misdeeds."

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.

.

"Stop being pig-headed about this, you idiot! Get in the car!"

"Shut up! You're too noisy! And stop following us with the car—you're making us all look suspicious!"

Hyuuga Hinata, who was walking a few steps behind, watched as Naruto and a goggles-wearing stranger argued loudly. The latter was driving a nondescript red sedan, deliberately matching a pedestrian's pace. So far, she had counted at least a dozen cars honk past them angrily.

"I DON'T CARE!" yelled the driver back, raising a fist. "Rin told me to look after that lady friend of yours, so that's what I'm gonna do!"

"I *can* protect her, Obito! I protect all of Japan's airspace, remember?" Naruto proudly pumped his chest. "In the SDF's cream of the crop, I happen to be THE creamiest!"

She tried to stifle a giggle, but the soft sound reached the driver's unusually keen hearing. He turned to her with a grin. "Ya' doing okay, Oujo-sama? Your legs are not getting tired or something?"

Her response was a gentle shake of her head.

"Sorry about that." Naruto gestured to the red car beside him with a sigh. "If it were any other driver, I would have gladly hitched ourselves a ride. But this guy here is OCD: an obsessive-compulsive do-gooder. He'll stop at every street to help everyone! It got worse when he saw this superhero movie about ants, and now he would stop the car just to let a bunch of ANTS cross the street—"

"It affected me, OKAY?!" Uchiha Obito sniffled a bit. "Poor Antony…"

"But we should just be a block away from Sakura-chan's lab." Naruto placed his arms behind his head. "I forgot to bring her some sweets, though. Grah, I'll be killed!"

Hinata timidly raised the dumplings box she was holding. "Would Sakura-san mind these?"

"But isn't that your takeout order? Won't your family mind?"

"I-I'm most certain they won't mind." She gave him what she hoped was a breezy smile.

It didn't escape the male's perception, though. "Things aren't good at home?" he asked sympathetically.

She shook her head. "I-It's my fault, really. I should have taken it more seriously."

"I can't imagine you of all people not taking anything seriously!" The male before her grinned. "If there's anything at all that I can help you with, let me know!"

That was the opening she had been looking for all day! But how to start? She twiddled her fingers together nervously. "I-It's my _omiai_ …"

The cheery smile slowly disappeared on his face. "Oh," he said blankly. She didn't understand what crossed his mind at that moment, but he was suddenly looking at her strangely.

 _What did I do? Did I say something wrong?_

"Ahaha, an _omiai_ ,huh? You must be a really rich girl, huh?" he said in a teasing tone, though his smile didn't quite reach his eye.

She was about to protest when he pointed to the building a couple of yards away. "That's the lab." He turned hurriedly to his driver-cum-bodyguard. "You can return now, stupid Obito."

"Call me when you're heading back, ungrateful brat!" Then he turned to Hinata and lifted his goggles up politely her way, as if it were a hat. "Oujo-sama, I'm leaving."

"W-Would you like some dumplings before you go?" she offered shyly. And before he could politely refuse, she had opened the box and scooped one dumpling up with a napkin. She delicately dipped one end in seasoned soy sauce and offered it to him. "Uchiha-san, I apologize that we don't have chopsticks. I forgot to ask for one back in the store."

The grown man in his mid-thirties started sniffling as he accepted the food from her. "Oh, bless my Ojou-sama's gentle heart! You remind me so much of Rin—"

"His goddess," added Naruto helpfully from the background.

"Yes, my goddess—EH?!" Obito glared at his ward, doing his poor best to appear intimidating amidst the riot of colors on his face. "You stay out of this!"

"Don't _EH?!_ me, idiot! For twenty years, you've carried a torch for her. Don't you think it's become a friggin' fire pillar by now?" snapped the blond male.

"Y-You just don't understand how adults in love act!" exclaimed the goggles-wearing man, forcing a grin. He'd die before he would admit to anyone that he'd probably be carrying his feelings to his funeral pyre. To him, Rin's friendship was more important than anything else in the world—even more than his own feelings. "Besides, do you see me nagging you about Sakura-chan? Aren't you carrying your own little Olympic torch for her as well?"

Naruto smirked. "If you must know, we already went out together many, many times—"

"As friends," retorted Obito.

"Pft, details!"

As both men continued to argue, Hinata hung back wordlessly, realization dawning on her pensive face.

.

.

.

Rin Nohara had barely placed the phone down when the device' LED screen lit up once more. It was usually one of her harassed assistants who picked up her calls, but this specific number directly goes into her line—and for a good reason.

"Good afternoon, Minister Uzumaki." She opened up her note-taking application and prepared for dictation.

But to her surprise, the usually impeccable minister sounded frazzled and anxious. "Rin, I am so sorry! I have a HUGE favor to ask of you."

"O-Of course, Minister!" Now this was rare. Uzumaki Kushina was one of the most talented, most hardworking people she had ever known. She hardly sought for help, not because she was too proud to ask, but because she was simply that capable.

Speaking in a hushed voice, Kushina said, "My father-in-law suddenly fell sick, so Minato and I are visiting while the press hasn't caught wind of the situation yet."

"H-His Majesty?!" Rin's heart nearly jumped to her throat as numerous scenarios ran through her head—all with major national and global implications.

"I can't ascertain his condition yet, but we're waiting to hear back from the imperial physicians," the caller continued. "But for now, I need your help. Can you please attend my engagements for this evening? I have two happening—it should be on your calendar."

"Y-Yes." She did her best to shake off her shock from the news she just heard.

"You were the one who prepared my agenda for the people I was supposed to meet, so I just need you to discuss those, get their responses, then head off for the next event. No need to stay too long," instructed the minister.

They spent a few minutes more going through briefing before Kushina hurriedly excused herself. It seems the doctors had arrived.

Rin collapsed against her swivel chair, still stupefied by the news. As the only remaining empire in the world, the Imperial Palace will be in danger of disappearing altogether if the present emperor dies. After a near-fatal accident in his early twenties, rumors leaked out even from the tightest security of the Imperial Household Agency regarding the emperor's loss of virility. Over the decades, the imperial couple never succeeded in producing an heir to the throne.

But if events continued to unfold, then that may entail finally revealing the palace' biggest family secret.

That prior to his accident, the Emperor managed to father a child with a woman he met in the university. The child who grew up to be Minato Namikaze, Uzumaki Kushina's husband.

.

.

.

"Sakura?" Uchiha Sasuke knocked on the closed door where Sakura disappeared into earlier. "May I come in?"

"So you DO know how to ask women for permission after all!" snapped the voice from inside. "I wouldn't have imagined, given how grabby you were earlier!"

He began to mouth off a few clumsy words of apology, but Sakura was talking furiously again. "Don't say sorry! I'm just really, really mad at you right now, and I'll feel bad because I won't be able to accept your apology!"

"I understand." He sat down instead and leaned against the door. "Do you remember that time when I told you that I got to talk to someone from another timeline?"

"Y-Yeah. What about it?"

"My parents passed away the day before that."

"O-OH!" Silence ensued, and Sasuke was about to continue speaking when he felt some kind of weight lean against the door. He instantly knew it was Sakura's back. It made him smile a bit, knowing it was her own quiet way of showing commiseration.

"So that's why you called me 'annoying' back then, huh?" she spoke wryly. "That time about your mom…"

 _She still hasn't moved on from that?_

"I deserve to be called worse names. I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun."

"No. How would you have known?" he said quickly. "Besides…"

He shut his eyes tight at the memory of that fateful evening. His big brother did not shed a tear during the bone-picking ceremony, so he knew that it was a man's responsibility not to cry.

But imagining his larger-than-life parents suddenly reduced to ashes in urns, he felt the urge to run away—far away from the sight, far away from the mourners and his brother who suddenly seemed to have age ten years right in front of his very eyes.

He ended up in a verdant patch of grass. He looked up at the stars overhead and imagined if life only truly ended in burnt ashes. Was it not possible to know what was beyond the boundary of life? Was it really death? Or another life in another time, as some monks told his family?

 _I want to know. Take me with you, Father, Mother. I really want to know._

Then in that instant, he heard a voice of a girl. The voice told him not to be sad.

 _You don't understand. How can I go back to that place and call it 'home' when Father and Mother aren't there anymore?_

Her words felt like a balm to his wounded soul. "Is it not precisely because their memories are there that you call it a 'home'? If not you, who would protect it? At least that's what my Mama says."

 _Who are you?_

When she told him her name, he was astounded, to put it mildly. Then he began to ask about her parents, who she was, how old she was, and whether she was happy or not. The girl patiently answered all his questions, but shared she wish she could see her father more often.

 _I'll meet you someday, no matter what. I promise!_

The voice told her she looked forward to that, and then asked him for his name. But just as abruptly as she came, she vanished. He tried to grab something—anything—in the darkness to try and stop her from leaving. And he thought he succeeded when he felt warm flesh in his grip.

When he opened his eyes, it turned out to be twelve-year-old Haruno Sakura. The girl who eventually promised to find a path to the other worlds and find his person before he did.

"Sasuke-kun?" He heard the nineteen-year-old Sakura call out from behind the door worriedly.

"A-Ah, yes." He cleared his throat. "I was just thinking that during that time, I was feeling pretty low. That might have made me susceptible to this... _genjutsu_ you told me earlier. Depression is a form of depletion, and it could have dulled my senses enough for someone to tap into it, like in our stacking theory."

No response came from the other side of the room, so he took it as a permission to continue speaking. Which he did. "So, if we can clinically simulate depression even for a short time—probably induce a lack of serotonin – then we can open up a communication pathway to anyone who can use genjutsu in the other timeline."

Suddenly, the door swung open, making him unceremoniously topple backwards on Sakura's feet.

"S-Sakura?" he murmured, gazing up at the beautiful sobbing face of the woman. Unsteadily, he slowly sat back up, unable to shift his eyes away from her face even for a second.

"I changed my mind."

His forehead creased. "You're not going to help me anymore?" Maybe his story sounded a bit too out-there for a pragmatic scientist like Haruno Sakura.

To his surprise, she sank down on the floor and embraced him from behind.

"S-Sakura…" He was all too aware of the elating floral fragrance filling his senses, as well as the softness that was enveloping him at the moment.

"We'll find that girl you talked to from the other timeline, _together_ ," she promised in between her choked sobs. "If you need to go back to the darkness so you can meet the girl who saved you, then I'll come with you!"

 _No_ , he thought quietly. _It wasn't her alone._ If the voice from the other world served as his light, it was his ultra-competitive classmate who led him out of the dark by hand. By treating him as a human being worth the competition and the effort to defeat, he felt there was no higher acknowledgment out there of his existence.

"I'll lend you my brains, and I'm not gonna compete with you anymore. But you have to promise me that my name comes first when we win the Nobel Prize Award, okay?" She finally let go of him so she could dry her tears with her arm.

He had to smile at that. "You drive a hard bargain, but alright."

"Oh yeah, Sasuke-kun, one more thing..." Sakura looked much calmer now.

"What is it?"

"Why did you try to kiss me earlier?" she wanted to know. There was no anger in her tone anymore, but just plain puzzlement. "Now I know it isn't just to shut me up, because you _were_ listening, as proven by how you remembered what I said about _genjutsu_. Therefore—"

The seldom-heard doorbell rang out across the room. Grateful for a distraction, Sasuke got up on his feet. "I believe we have guests." He offered her his hand so she could get up, too. "Were you expecting anyone?"

"That's probably Naruto. I told him you'll be home today."

"Then you know how stupid enough he is to make weird assumptions if he sees you in tears." He started towards the door. "I'll greet the _dobe_."

"So you aren't going to answer my question?" she asked, eyebrows cocked.

"So you aren't going to stop asking questions?" he retorted.

"Good science never stops asking 'why'."

"Then I'll answer it," he said offhandedly, "when I concede to you."

"Waittttt, whatever happened to our no-competition clause?" she demanded, stomping her feet.

"That's in your contract, not mine."

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.

.

"Don't worry about me, Obito. I can drive myself to the parties just fine," reassured Rin as she sat amidst other much younger women in the row in front of a large hair salon mirror. "Just stay close to Hinata-san and Naruto."

"Hinata… oh! The oujo-sama!" Her childhood friend chuckled from the other end of the line. "She's a good kid."

"She is. Her family was very eager to have her spend the day with Naruto."

He immediately picked up what she alluded to. "So she's one of those classy, well-bred missies who have set their eyes on that brat?"

"She used to be," nodded Rin, earning a pointed glare from her stylist. "But she didn't show up during the _omiai_."

"Hah! Good for her!" Obito found that revelation positively hilarious.

"But she did call our office earlier to inquire if the date could be reset," narrated the brown-haired woman. "So I suppose her family has finally had the opportunity to brief her about her partner."

"You don't sound impressed."

Rin let out a sigh. "It's just that I wonder when Naruto will finally meet someone who will fall in love with him for who he is as a person, and not just for his achievements or his family's influence."

"L-L-L-Love?" Obito choked, before erupting into a chorus of coughs. "F-F-Funny you should s-say that. Because I—"

"Especially now that there's a big chance he's gonna be a crown—" Rin's eyes bulged, and her hands flew over her mouth just in time.

"MA'AM, PLEASE!" shrieked the hair stylist in both ire and panic. "We don't want to be sued for burning an ear off you!"

"Sorry!" she bowed quickly to the stylist, as well as to everyone else in the room. She then picked up the phone. "I gotta go, Obito. Stick to them like glue!" She immediately pressed the End Call button and faced her stylist with another apologetic smile. "Sorry again!"

.

.

.

"Your eyes are red."

"They're not."

"No, they are, really!" Naruto peered at her face worriedly. "Are you using drugs, Sakura-chan?"

"I'M NOT, YOU DOOFUS!" Sakura slammed her fist on the blond's head. "How the hell did they give you a new star in the SDF if this is how your brain operates?"

"Beats me. Deliberation for things like this is pretty secretive in our turf."

"IT'S A RHETORICAL QUESTION!" Sakura drew away from him, incensed. "Honestly, Naruto. I thought a taste of military life would make you mature a bit more." She then turned her eyes to the wide-eyed raven beauty sitting beside her friend.

"Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura! I've known both these guys since childhood. You can call me Sakura," she greeted brightly, any trace of her previous hot temper magically gone.

"P-Pleased to meet you, Sakura-san." Despite the obvious nervousness, the woman couldn't get rid of her intrinsic grace afforded only by being born with a golden spoon on one's mouth. "I'm—"

"She's an oujo-sama," interrupted Naruto quickly.

Sakura scowled. "Why are you speaking for her, stupid? Even an oujo-sama has a name and a voice of her own."

"I'm just saying, she has to protect her family name because she's—"

"H-Hinata!"

Everyone turned to the trembling woman, surprised by the sudden rise of her voice.

"Please, everyone, call me Hinata," she pleaded, though her tone hinted that she was actually speaking to a certain person in the room. Her taciturn eyes remained glued to her knees.

Sakura was the first one to recover. Affably, she smiled at the woman. "Very well, Hinata. I look forward to us being good friends!"

"What a _dobe_ ," remarked Sasuke curtly, sipping his tea. For once, Naruto did not have a comeback for that.

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.

.

"Hey, where are you off to?" asked Ino, puzzled, when she saw Neji standing in the middle of her living room, coat and notebook in hand. She had just gotten out of bath and had left Sai in-charge of preparing their guest' bed. "Don't tell me you're planning to leave at this hour? Stay for the night, Hyuuga-san."

The long-haired man looked like he was just waiting for her so he could give her his formal thanks and farewell. "I've booked a hotel in town, but I appreciate your offer of hospitality, Yamanaka-sensei."

Impulsively, her hand touched his shoulder, stopping him. "I insist. You may be a boring man, but it's been so long since I've had someone over." She could not suppress the desire and longing in her voice.

How many months had it been since she threw herself to treating strangers day in and day out, all in a bid to forget Nara Shikamaru? How many months had she slept and woke up in her doctor's coat, relying only in muscle memory and force-swallowed medical knowledge to keep her going?

She was so lonely. She was so needy.

 _Real women don't bring themselves down for men, Ino-pig!_

She pushed out the nagging voice of her ex-best friend and focused on turning on her charms. The Yamanaka brand of seduction that worked on all men except on those who she truly liked.

"Stay with me?" she whispered, caressing the man's strong profile with her fingers.

His response was to coldly brush away her hand.

"My apologies. I really must go. I have no time to lose." His eyes darted around the room for any sign of the pale-faced, apron-wearing driver.

Resentment filled her at that moment. Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru, and now this boring yet unexplainably desirable man from the Hyuuga family. How dare they look down on her!

"I agree. We don't have time to lose." Without warning, she pulled the man down to her waiting lips. Her fingers busied themselves in groping for buttons, zippers, ties, or whatever that could get rid of his damn clothes that were in the way.

"Stop," he commanded when she drew away momentarily for air. He also quickly entangled himself from her. "You are lonely, Yamanaka-sensei, but this is not the answer you're looking for."

His empathetic words shook her violently more than any act of cruelty could. "I'm not looking for right answers anyway," she replied in her haughtiest tone. "Anyone will do."

"You don't mean that."

Her breathing turned harsher. "What do you know about me? About how I feel?"

"Nothing," he answered evenly. "And that's why you don't deserve someone who thinks and feels nothing about you."

She blinked, and then looked away. "Rubbish."

The blonde followed him outside until he reached the gate. As he pushed it open, she suddenly spoke up. "You weren't really looking for Rock Lee, were you? It's the girl that you had set your sights on all along." She crossed her arms over her chest. "How boring!"

He gave her a gentle smile in response.

.

.

.

Hyuuga Neji was long gone, but Ino was still seated in the wooden balcony of the house, gazing up at the stars. Beside her, Sai sat down and slipped a blanket over her slender shoulders.

"It's getting chilly, Sensei."

"So it is." It was barely eight in the evening, but the remoteness of the area made it seem it was close to midnight already. Aside from the sound of nocturnal insects, the place was completely quiet.

"Come in and have tea?" he offered.

"You don't need to act so normal on my account," sighed Ino. "You saw us, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "I didn't see anything if you say I did not, Sensei."

She laughed sardonically. "My father must be paying you so well for you to act like such a perfect dog."

The driver bowed. "I am pleased to have been praised."

"And you did nothing to stop us back then?"

"I could see that Hyuuga-san had no intention of taking advantage of you, Yamanaka-sensei, so I let the two of you be."

She laughed harshly. "No intention, huh? Have I lost my appeal as a woman, Sai?"

"Absolutely not, Sensei," her driver swiftly reassured her. "He must have considered the situation thoroughly, as evidenced by how it took him a bit of time before he pushed you away. It's not you, but him, and his strong feelings for another person."

One of her brows shot up. "Sai, you're acting so benign that it makes me nervous." Was it his way of consoling her? _Strange man._

"So would you prefer me to be… _not so benign_?" he asked, crossing the distance she previously assumed was safe in but a heartbeat.

She let out another laugh, but it sounded hollow in her ears. "That I have to order a man to do this…"

A small gasp escaped from her when he cupped the side of her face without warning. "Your orders were never needed, Sensei. I've always been at your command, right from the very start."

 _Huh? What? Sai?_ Her mind clouded over as the distance between their faces rapidly shrank.

Just then, her mobile phone rang. As if electrocuted, she pushed her bodyguard away and walked briskly into the living room where her phone was being charged.

"Yes, Yamanaka Ino speaking?"

A few moments of silence passed, and just as she was about to repeat her greeting, the caller on the other end of the line spoke.

"H-Hey, Ino-pig. We need your help."

Her brows furrowed. _Sakura-chan?_

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Chapter 4

"So you're telling me that the help you need from me IS TO TRANSPORT ILLEGAL DRUGS FOR YOU?!" Yamanaka Ino shrieked from the other end of the line, prompting a sheepish-looking Haruno Sakura to pull the phone away from her ear. "ARE YOU INSANE?! Did the prolonged isolation in your little lab finally get to you?!"

"My, my, Sensei! You are exaggerating things!" Feeling her newly-met friend Hinata's worried gaze on her, the rose-haired woman silently raised a thumbs up to reassure her that she's got everything under control. "The substance we are requesting for, MDMA, is being considered for reclassification into Schedule III due to its usefulness in psychotherapy. And we're totally using this for research... for science!"

"What if I get caught?" barked the blonde over the line, sounding no less furious by her reassurances. "Think that'll fly with the cops? I don't know when you last went out of your bubble, Forehead Girl, but please know that Japan has absolutely ZERO tolerance for drugs!"

"You won't let yourself get caught. After all, you're not Yamanaka Ino for nothing," smirked Sakura smugly.

A mix of nostalgia and annoyance crossed Ino's face upon hearing the familiar-sounding vote of confidence. "O-Of course that's a given! But I still don't understand why you need that for research. Weren't you studying about parallel worlds or something?"

Sakura did a double take when she heard that. _She still keeps abreast of what I'm working on?_ "Y-Yeah. And we might have stumbled upon a crucial pathway, which we could only access by changing some parts of our biochemistry."

She then went on to detail their theory regarding stacked universes, as well as _genjutsu_ serving as link between Everett's Web. Their hypothesis, she explained in her usual breathless, dizzying pace, was that opening up the pathway may entail dulling the senses similar to what depressed people go through. This meant clinically simulating depression through serotonin deficiency, which would be accomplished by first forcing it to release large amounts of the brain chemical through MDMA, and then waiting for the brain's supply to be fully depleted of serotonin so a depression-like state could be achieved.

Ino proceeded to massage her aching temples as she digested the flood of information she had just heard in a space of three minutes or so. "Haruno Sakura, listen. It's great that you're on the verge of a cosmos-shaking discovery. But I am NOT going to give you drugs, okay?" From her peripheral view, she could see Sai look up curiously.

Not that she could blame him- what the heck was their former school topnotcher even thinking? She continued, "As a medical professional, I swore that above everything else, I will do no harm. And this one is, like, super serious harm. Drugs don't just change your complexion or give you minor colds to nurse for a couple of weeks, okay? Even just two tablets of XTC can destroy your long-term health! There's also the immediate threat of dehydration, high fever, seizure, increase of blood pressure- in short, it's a really, really bad idea."

"I *know*, Ino-pig. I won't call you without doing at least a cursory Google search on its risks," countered Sakura, rolling her eyes. "And that is precisely why I called _you_. We're counting on you to keep watch on us as we conduct the experiment."

"How bold of you to assume that I'll be helping you, Forehead Girl. For your information, I'm a very busy woman." Ino grabbed the nearest book within her reach and made a big show of flipping through its pages. "Let's see- my journal says I'm booked until end of this year."

"I'm doing this, Ino-pig, whether you're helping or not. I have other sources on standby for tomorrow if you decline."

"W-What?" Ino dropped her book in surprise. "Are you crazy? Didn't you just hear everything I've said?" she hissed, gripping the phone tightly. _She's virtually committing suicide!_

Sakura's voice was firm as steel. "I did. But this is something very important to me- something that I'm willing to stake my whole life on."

Ino's shoulders trembled as she silently weighed her options. Until finally, she let out a defeated groan. "Alright, alright! I'm going to be there first thing in the morning. Don't do anything stupid till I get there!"

"Thank you, Ino-chan." Sakura's voice considerably softened, reminding her of the little girl who used to think the world of her.

"Don't 'Ino-chan' me, you idiotic, blackmailing geek!" Her eyes, though, were glistening with tears. _How many years had it been since I last heard this voice?_ She embarrassedly wiped her eyes with the back of her other free hand. "Who gave you the idea about this _genjutsu_ mumbo-jumbo anyway?"

"I recently met a guy who told me about seeing a girl from another timeline through _genjutsu_ ," answered Sakura jovially. "It's been corroborated by another trustworthy source, who also managed to communicate with someone from a different timeline. So here we are, investigating these potential parallel universe romances so we can pitch them to Harlequin for additional research funding."

Ino snorted disdainfully. "Let us _please_ NOT talk about romances. A lovesick guy just dropped by this evening. The lovey-dovey vibes he was giving off were positively GRATING to my senses." Her mouth twitched at the memory of the solemn-looking man who sincerely reassured her that she deserved so much more than what she had expected of herself. "I blame him for weakening my natural defense for stupidity, thereby looping me into your schemes"

Sakura's peal of laughter sounded off from the other end of the line. "Lovely. Let me know his name, and I'll have Naruto look up his details so we can send him our token of appreciation."

At the mention of their childhood friend who was now working in the military, a lightbulb lit on Ino's head. "Nah. Just have Naruto's intelligence network find a girl named Tenten. If they find anything, have them reach out to that lovesick guy. His name is Hyuuga Neji."

"My, that's pretty magnanimous of you-" Sakura's emerald eyes widened. "Wait, a guy looking for a girl named Tenten?" Behind her, Hinata stiffened at the mention of the name. "And his name is Hyuuga Neji?"

"Yeah. What's the matter?" asked the blonde, sounding baffled at her friend's sudden interest.

"Don't hang up, no matter what!" barked the scientist, and the turned to the wide-eyed heiress urgently. "Hinata-chan, come quick! I think we found a lead about your runaway cousin!"

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

For misspandalily and her wonderfully thoughtful and thorough review, and for imjustanotheroneofthem, for kindly cheering me on to finish this story.

* * *

Drink less, eat more.

This was Nohara Rin's mantra whenever she had to accompany Uzumaki Kushina in their nightly socials with political and business VIPs. She was aware that a full stomach, along with taking in only occasional small sips of spirits would give her body enough buffer to properly break down the alcohol in her blood.

But this was one of the rare times she had to go out and socialize on her own. And when it was the powerful Speaker of the House of Councillors himself, Danzo Shimura, pouring her drinks, she had virtually zero chance to refuse the hospitality.

Minister Uzumaki had made it her top priority to maintain cordial ties with this man, rumored to be the shadow leader of the vigilante military group, Root. Danzo may have earned most of the trust and goodwill of the National Diet, but Kushina remained wary of him, especially of his utilitarian stance towards running the government.

 _Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer._

So here she was, Nohara Rin, a prim and mature woman looked up to by most women and men in the office, struggling to maintain her balance despite the forgiving office kitten heels she wore straight to the party.

If there was one silver lining in the situation, it was that this was her last party for the evening and that the serious, business-natured discussion had been properly settled an hour ago. They were now pleasantly chitchatting, and she was now merely looking for the next possible window to excuse herself from the conversation.

"Oh, our bottle's almost out!" gasped the cane-aided councillor, shaking the empty bottle in emphasis and drawing everyone's chuckles. "Waiter, come here! We have an emergency!"

Rin grabbed the opportunity to make a quick exit. "I'll see you next week, Councillors Danzo and Homura."

"So soon?" Homura Mitokado pushed the bridge of his glasses up his nose. "Well, if you really must-"

"Nonsense!" boomed Danzo Shimura, shrewdly placing her in the spotlight. "The evening is too young for a pretty little thing like you to call it a night!"

She barely managed to conceal a shiver of disgust upon hearing the old man's words. "Thank you, Councillor, but I _really_ need to go."

"I insist!" Danzo held out his free arm towards her. "Why must Kushina's little secretary be in such a hurry? Come here—"

Just then, a warm wall suddenly crossed between them, separating her from Danzo's eager hand. Through still feeling heady from the wine, she immediately recognized who it was.

Hatake Kakashi, dressed in dark gray silk suit and black shirt, smoothly broke into a friendly smile. "Councillor Danzo, what a pleasure to meet you again this evening."

 _He hasn't left yet?_ She vaguely recalled seeing him earlier in the party, one arm slung around a voluptuous foreigner who seemed to have squeezed herself into a deep purple mermaid tail gown two sizes smaller for her. Naturally, she expected him and his lady companion to have left the party earlier than the rest.

Danzo's experienced eye regarded the silver-haired man circumspectly, but the consummate politician he was, his voice hinted nothing but affability. "Ah, Kakashi, my boy! Glad to see my little prodigy living out his ambitions in the Ministry of Justice."

"Proud to have learned from the best, Councillor," replied Kakashi genially as he gently slid a hand around her shoulder. She fought the urge to shrink back from his touch- not out of disgust, but because of the sheer unexpected nature of his action. "Now if you must excuse us, I have to bring this lady home."

The astute politician waved his hand dismissively. "You just want to monopolize Nohara-chan's attention, you playboy."

 _Oh, for heaven's sake!_ "He's right, Councillor," she spoke up, annoyed that her childhood friend had to play white knight to extricate her from this vermin. "I actually have to be at work early in the morning tomorrow."

"Such a diligent worker Kushina has." Danzo's lips twisted into an ugly line, obviously disliking her refusal of his advances. "Very well then. Be careful on your way home, my dear. That man is a predator to all maidens."

It took all her will to clamp her mouth shut. Instead, she wordlessly smiled and bowed before the councillors before she and Kakashi took their leave. As they walked, she tiptoed to reach his ears and whispered furiously, "You can take your hands off me now. He's not looking anymore."

In response, she felt his grasp on her tighten even more. When she glared at him warningly, she was met by his teasing grin.

"Yeah, but everyone else is still watching." He bent down so he could speak softly over her ear. "Let's give them a good show."

Her face turned hot at once. At certain angles, she knew they made for a very intimate, suggestive scene. "That's because the ministry's mousy old maid is leaving together with the hotshot bachelor," she muttered, quickening her pace so she could create a decent distance between them. _What a ridiculous scene we're making!_

"I don't see a mousy old maid," protested the silver-haired lawyer lightly. "I _do_ see a beautifully incensed maiden about to take off her shoes and pummel me in such maidenly manner with them."

A vein popped on her head. "Don't give me ideas, Hatake Kakashi. I don't want Minister Uzumaki to deal with the aftermath."

He guided her to the parking garage, where his midnight blue Nissan 370z Coupe was parked. "Hop in," he said simply, taking out his keys from the pocket of his jacket.

"Thanks, but I brought my own."

His dark orbs scrutinized her for a moment. "You're in no capacity to drive," he decided afterwards, giving her a firm shake of his head.

"Like I'm going to believe you didn't touch the alcohol all night." She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Well, looks like you've made up your mind about me, so I won't even try to say otherwise." Kakashi let out a helpless sigh. "Get in, or I'll call Obito."

Her nostrils flared. "You can't! I asked him specifically to stick to Naruto!"

"My thoughts exactly," said Kakashi, nodding solemnly in affirmation. "But knowing that guy, if he hears Rin will be driving by her drunk lonesome, no doubt he will-"

"UGH!" She threw open the passenger door and climbed in. "Now I have to pick up the car here tomorrow! I'm SO going to be late for work!"

"That's fine. You've always come in at least an hour early every morning and leave at least a couple of hours late every night for the past ten years or so anyway," he said breezily. "Add those hours up, and the state owes you practically five years of leave."

"Really? How did you know?" Rin herself never really thought about the hours she clocked in and out. All she had in mind was a list of things she had to accomplish for the day.

He shrugged, and then revved up the car engine. "Your boss should know your limits, but she too, doesn't know her own. Basically, you're both workaholics feeding off each other's work addiction."

She was particularly displeased by how he seemed to be laughing at her and her admired mentor's expense. "Minister Uzumaki has solid work ethics, that's all!"

He turned to face her, his mouth curved into a gentle smile she rarely saw from him. "Yeah."

That lone motion was enough to send her heart racing traitorously. How patently unfair of him to do that when she's at her most vulnerable. If he only knew how, then and now, he would affect her like so.

Sensing she could not maintain her unaffected façade any longer, Rin abruptly turned her back on him. "I-I think I'm going to take a nap."

"Don't make a lot of sudden movements," he reminded her, his eyes quickly flickering at her hurried backward push to recline the car seat. "It'll only make you feel sicker."

"I'm fine, keep your eyes on the road," she responded curtly. She was not used to accepting concern from anyone else but Obito—least of all from Hatake Kakashi, her childhood friend whom she had clandestinely cherished since forever.

"Alright," he replied soothingly. She then felt something—his jacket?—draped over her with great care.

Silence ensued. Rin tried to shut her eyes tight and lull herself to sleep, but she was too acutely aware of his presence that enveloped her in the car—from the distinct scent of the car air freshener to the musky cologne that lingered on his evening coat. Alas, she decided, trying to sleep was futile.

"Hey, Kakashi."

"Hmm?"

"Be careful. Danzo's eyes are on you."

He replied after a brief pause. "Yep. He hates every fiber of my being." She observed that her friend spoke with such casualness, as if he and Danzo were just arguing over a friendly game of poker rather than a filthy game of politics.

"I did snitch on him and his connection to the assassination plot against the Professor." He was referring to his previous law school professor and now highly-respected Supreme Court Justice, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"You don't sound too worried."

A small chuckle sounded off from him. "People _die_. It's going to happen eventually, so why fear the inevitable?"

Sensing her troubled silence, he shifted gears. "The Minister should be careful, too. Danzo's heading a minority party at the moment, but it seems he's planning to form alliances in both houses of the Diet to usurp the PM post. Minister Uzumaki refused to join him, and he won't take that lightly."

She nodded. "We're ready for that."

"And if he learns about Naruto and Sensei's true lineage…"

Rin clenched her fists. "Like we'd let that happen!"

"Atta girl."

.

.

.

Uchiha Obito's eyes flicked between the two silent youngsters at the back of the car.

The oujo-sama (Hyuuga Hinata, he silently corrected himself) was looking down on her lap, hands folded primly. At first glance, she was a lovely image of ethereal serenity, as expected of a well-trained daughter of one of the most affluent clans in town. Only upon closer inspection would one sense her anxiety, as revealed by her lovely yet troubled eyes.

Uzumaki Naruto was strangely quiet as well, arms crossed and eyes cast on the oncoming nighttime traffic. But he had known the brat since he was a sniffling mess of tears, milk, and snot. And right now, he could see Naruto's azure eyes were discreetly watching the raven-haired heiress like a hawk through the car's side mirror.

 _What's up with these two?_

Since the moment he picked up the two from the laboratory, he noticed that they had refused to chat with each other, or even look at each other, for that matter. The only thing they had in the car that had semblance to a conversation was when Hinata insisted she would be fine waiting for her own ride, Naruto crossly insisted he would see her home, claiming it was his "responsibility" as the person who brought her to the lab.

 _Yeah, right. His own mother even had to resort to those hellish headlocks just so he would remember to make his own damn bed._

Obito casually hunched over to fix the side mirror's angle away from the woman, earning the brat's annoyed glare. "So Oujo-sama, did you hear anything promising about your cousin?"

The young woman looked up, a shy smile dawning on her face. "O-Oh, yes. I was very fortunate to visit on the day that Sakura-san talked to Yamanaka-sensei over the phone. It seems Neji-niisan recently dropped by the good doctor's place before heading for Shimanto."

"Shimanto? What's he gonna do way down there in Shikoku, go fishing?" The driver looked puzzled.

"It seems this was one of the three possible places that Neji-niisan narrowed down to for his search," she explained, recalling the lady physician's words.

" _He thought about it from my patient's perspective: if there's someplace he wanted to stay at while recovering from muscular injuries, he would want it to be where it's relatively warm. At the same time it should be just a couple of hours away from Tokyo's hospitals via Shinkansen."_

Obito's question broke her reverie. "Who's he looking for, Shimanto-gawa's mermaid?" He was referring to the city's famed last pristine river that brought tourists in droves.

She shook her head, a slight smile on her face. "Ah, no, nothing like that. Tenten-san is a fortuneteller."

"A fortuneteller?!" The man burst out laughing. "That's certainly more special than a mermaid!" He gave the steering wheel a big, merry slap. "Your cousin sure has an interesting taste in women."

Hinata looked too thrilled to be able to talk to someone about her cherished cousin that she didn't mind his little gibe. "Truth to be told, this is the first time that Neji-niisan has _ever_ shown interest in any woman other than me and my sister," she shared, a fond smile on her lips. "And this is the first time that I've ever seen him act this way. He was so young when Uncle Hizashi passed away, and he had to grow up quickly just so he could watch over me and Hanabi in Uncle's stead. He prioritized family above even his own happiness.

"That he decided to drop everything just to see her again… it really does take a special woman to move Neji-niisan like that," she concluded softly, awing both men to thoughtful silence.

A moment later, Hinata's eyes widened. "D-Did I say too much? I-I am so sorry I got carried away!" Her hands frantically flew to cover her heated cheeks.

"No apologies needed, Oujo-sama. Glad to know your cousin's such a great guy! Ne, Naruto?"

When the male did not respond, Obito momentarily took his eyes off the road to peer at his ward. "Oi, kid!" A smirk formed on his face when he saw Naruto was still staring unwittingly at the oblivious woman. Shrugging, he turned his attention back on the road.

 _What a cute idiot couple._

.

.

.

"That should be the last baggage." Sai proceeded to shut the car trunk close, and then smoothly opened the front passenger door for Yamanaka Ino. "Well, Sensei?"

She quietly slid into the backseat instead, throwing her suitcase onto the seat. Sai looked on, but said nothing as he shut the door. He then crossed to the other side of the vehicle to let himself in. After a few minutes, the car engine hummed to life.

Sai craned his neck from where he sat so he could speak to her properly. "It's going to be a long drive to the lab, so please feel free to fall asleep to my sexy sax playlist."

"Sure."

"No lovingly barbed quips for me, Sensei?" he asked teasingly, but she sensed that he meant it, too.

Ino groaned inwardly. After the near-kiss back at the gated compound, she couldn't meet her bodyguard's gaze anymore—at least not without remembering how his eyes look up close, mere inches away. And that memory was… _disconcerting_.

"Your dog is worried. Did anything happen?"

She blinked, and then turned to look at him in surprise. Why would he ask _that_ so innocently when he perfectly knew that something nearly happened between them?

However, the bodyguard was already facing the road again, the back of his seat perfectly blocking her view of him. "Like what you said, your father pays me good money to make things whatever you want them to be," he said lightly. "So if my mistress will kindly tell me how she wants circumstances to be, then it'll be my pleasure to be at her command."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What if I ask that you don't show your face to me again?"

"Is that what you want, Sensei?" he asked, unperturbed.

Her heartbeat quickened, for some reason she couldn't fathom.

"Because if that's your desire, then I'll do as you say." He let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'll be lonely, though. No one else can skillfully eviscerate my self-worth the way you do, Sensei."

With herculean effort, she managed to fend off the smile threatening to form on her pursed lips. "It's just a hypothetical question, idiot. Besides, I've grown used to having you around. It's too troublesome to go back to square one with someone else."

"I'm glad."

Over the past months she had known him, she noticed that Sai had always, always carefully masked his speech and mannerisms with measured affability. So she was startled to hear that for a moment, she thought she detected some amount of genuine relief in his voice.

 _This odd relationship we have… does it really mean that much to him?_ But just as quickly, she shut down the tiny, hopeful voice in her heart. _No, it's my father's money that he's attached to. What else could he possibly see in me except for that?_

"I hate jazz," she remarked, leaning against her seat. Her eyelids were starting to get heavy.

"I think it's rather lovely, Sensei," he replied pleasantly. "It builds the mood. Does it not do anything for you?"

"It does. It builds my mood to hate jazz with every fiber of my being."

"You're a monster, Yamanaka-sensei!" he exclaimed in mock indignation.

"Not the first time I've heard that." She finally gave in to the usher of slumber and slowly disentangled her ties to her senses.

.

.

.

Haruno Sakura was putting on her shoes by the doorway when Uchiha Sasuke emerged from the lab, holding a shopping bag out to her.

"What's that, new specimens to bring home?" she asked, blinking. She was used to bringing extra materials from the lab that she could use for her own pet projects at home.

"It's for your parents," he replied tersely.

She finally took the bag from his handy. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun. I'll give it to them right away!"

"Don't just give the whole bag, check the contents first."

"Why? Do these spoil?" She gave the bag an unceremonious rattle, as if it would answer her question.

He sighed audibly. And then wordlessly, he grabbed the bag back from her and dug into its contents until he found what he was looking for. He produced a small velvet box on his hand.

"Oh my, that looks pricey! What's in it—" She tried to take the box from him, but he suddenly held it out of her reach. "Hey!" She tried to tiptoe, but the good few inches of height she lacked did not help her case. "Are you really gonna give me that or what?!"

"I will, as my parting gift," he replied evenly. "Starting immediately, I need you off this project, Sakura."

Her mouth dropped open, and she gaped at him like this for a couple of minutes more until she finally recovered her wits. "What on earth are you talking about, you blockhead?! Didn't I just promise you that I'll help you find the path to the other timelines? Also, we're partners—you can't fire me!"

"Risking your life is out of the question." His tone resounded with finality, but Sakura was not the one to give up easily.

"Is this about what you heard Ino say over the phone earlier?" She waved her hand carelessly. Relax, Ino-pig's a fantastic doctor! She will keep watch over us when we undertake the serotonin experiment, just like those reality shows with the snazzy ambulances."

This did little to soothe him. "I will not let you take that substance, Sakura. We have not properly verified yet if depression is reliably correlated to the stacking theory, and I'll be damned before I make you a guinea pig in order to ascertain that."

A vein popped on her head. And in one quick tug, she grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his shirt. "Listen, pal, you can't make decisions for me. This is _my_ body, and _my_ prerogative! If I choose to use myself for science, then that's my call and nobody else's!"

He remained impassive. "Not if you're doing this for my sake."

"And what if _I_ wanted to do it for your sake?" she snapped back.

He placed his right hand on top of her own, as the latter was still clutching his shirt tightly. "Then I'll make you _not_ want it," he answered quietly, his eyes locked on hers. 'If I have to do certain things to make you hate me..."

 _Things that will make me hate him?_ She gasped. "Y-You wouldn't DARE delete my Minesweeper records!"

"Idiot." His eyes softened as his fingers slowly moved to peel away her hold. "Thank you for everything you've done," he spoke with utmost sincerity in his voice. "But this is where we part ways."

 _Wait, is he really serious?_ "Sasuke-kun, you can't do this!" she cried, clenching her fists. "Part of the research you have is mine! We're going to do this together, you blockhead!"

She felt his hand brush her side, sending electricity coursing through her. A moment later, she felt the velvet box drop gently into the pocket of her light coat.

He then pulled back and straightened. "Goodbye, Sakura." And with that, he disappeared back into the lab, leaving her in shocked confusion.

.

.

.

"Thank you for the ride home." Hyuuga Hinata bowed at the men in the car. They had parked not too far away from the front gates of the elegant Hyuuga mansion. "It was wonderful to meet new people today."

"You take care, Oujo-sama!" Obito gave her a quick salute before answering his insistently ringing cellphone.

Naruto seized the moment of distraction to finally speak to her privately. He got out of the car and offered the startled heiress his fist.

"Eh?"

He grimaced. "My bad, troop quirk." SDF considered it a bad form to show someone his palm, but recalling that he was conversing with a civilian and that the fist he was offering may appear intimidating, he consciously unraveled his fingers until he could offer a fully-outstretched hand.

"I acted like a complete jerk to you earlier." He offered her a tentative smile. "I'm really sorry, Hinata. "

She was mortified by how easily her face would turn the deepest shade of red whenever she spoke with Naruto. "I-It's fine! Please don't worry about it!" Shyly, she accepted his hand to shake it as a sign of goodwill.

Naruto peeked into the car, where Obito was still talking in hushed tones. He knew it meant serious business, and it would probably take him a bit longer to wrap it up. With that in mind, he climbed up the car trunk, and then patted the space beside him. "Wanna sit here?"

She nodded speechlessly, and he offered his hand to her again. This time, he naturally opened his palm towards her. It was readily accepted by the heiress, and the man effortlessly hoisted her up.

The momentum propelled her forward, and for a moment, she found herself hovering close enough to him for her to see her wide-eyed, flushed self reflected on his endlessly blue eyes.

But just as quickly, his other hand assisted her in settling down beside him. She landed with a light thud, rocking the car a bit and prompting the engrossed Obito to glance up at them. An amused grin formed on the older man's face when he saw his wards sitting together on the trunk, gazing at the moon.

"T-Thank you," Hinata's voice barely rose above a whisper, but with their proximity and the solitude afforded by the tranquil evening, her every word reverberated within him. It was an entirely new experience for him, truth to be told.

"It's great news, isn't it?" began Naruto, placing his palms on his knees as he looked at her smilingly. "Now that you know that your cousin is safe, you must be feeling very relieved."

She nodded. "I am. I hope he finds Fortuneteller-san soon, too." She tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear that had gone loose due to the nocturnal breeze. "Neji-niisan's doing his best, so I should do so, too!"

The blond male collapsed against the back window of the car, arms propped behind his head. "Oh yeah, speaking of which, what do you plan to do about _that_?"

"That?"

"The one you told me about earlier," he replied gruffly. "The one you need help with."

 _Oh._ He was referring to her _omiai._ Slowly, a graceful smile blossomed on her face. "I now know what I should do."

He blinked. "You do?"

She nodded, eyes still cast towards the night's horizon. "My family's business is in a sensitive position at the moment. Right now, we badly need an upgrade of our facilities and equipment if we want to keep up with the other companies with modernized machineries, but we're unable to move because we don't have the money."

"Are you going bankrupt?" he asked, surprised. The Hyuuga Complex was one of the country's most ostentatious showcases of Japan's old wealth for over half a century. Even his mother's peers were deferential to the Hyuuga clan.

She immediately shook her head. "We have properties and assets, but we're not liquid. Years ago, Father allocated a considerable sum to Uncle Hizashi's medical treatment overseas. Right now, we have the funds to support the day-to-day operation of the business, but not enough for its improvement. That's why..." Her voice trailed off.

"That's why your father was adamant about matching you for marriage." Naruto's fists clenched, anger growing within him. "He wants to pawn you off to some rich heir to save your family business."

"That's not it," she negated softly. "He wants to save the livelihood of the hundreds of people who work for us, and their respective families. What is one measly oujo-sama's sacrifice for the good of so many people who are working hard for us and for their loved ones?"

His jaw dropped open. "Hinata…"

"But after meeting you, Sakura-chan, and everyone else today, I've realized something important. My family name is not a burden; it's a privilege. " Strength filled her usually timid voice. "It's up to me how I will intend to use it. Will I hide behind it and wait for it to protect me, as if I were made of fragile glass and nothing more? Or will I use it to forge new weapons with our clan's will of fire so we can protect our way of living?"

She turned to him, immense determination carved on the _oujo-sama_ 's delicate-looking countenance. "I've decided to protect my people with my own voice… my own power. I will not pursue any more _miai_ in the future."

The chilly night breeze played with the strands of Hinata's hair as a moment of hush came between them. And with the waxing moon overhead giving off a pale blue glow on the woman's face, Naruto could not tear his gaze away from her, like the Emperor entranced by the ethereal Princess Kaguya of the Moon (in one of Jiraiya's sanitized folk stories his mother allowed him to hear).

Hinata's pale eyes softened as she spoke up once more. "My heartfelt apologies for the troubles I brought you, Naruto-kun, and I thank you for everything you have done for this spoiled _oujo-sama_. Please be well, always." With that, she slid off the car trunk, gracefully landing on her feet.

"O-Oi, Hinata, wait a minute-" He, too, leapt off the car trunk, but before he could make any further move, Obito's head popped out of the window.

"Hey Naruto, your mom called. She needs to see you asap."

Naruto froze on his tracks as he watched the woman disappear into the Hyuuga gate.

.

.

.

Hyuuga Hanabi's eyes shook in relief upon seeing the familiar figure of her elder sister entering the _genkan_. However, she quickly put on an expression of annoyance and marched towards her. "Onee-san, why were you out so late?!" She placed her hands on her hips, brows furrowed. "Father wanted to ask about you, but of course he's too proud to do that! Was your date with the Uzumaki son so thrilling that you forgot about your poor imouto waiting for you? How-"

The younger Hyuuga halted when she saw her sister's eyes glistening with tears. "Onee-san! What happened?" She gasped. "D-Did he hurt you?"

The raven-haired heiress shook her head, and then forced a carefree smile. "I will not bother Naruto-kun anymore with our family's problems. This is something I must handle on my own."

"E-EH?!" Hanabi followed her sister into the mansion, unsatisfied with the scanty explanation. "So are you going with a different _omiai_ prospect? Because Father's friends introduced someone new, and they set it up for tomorrow."

Hinata felt her heart drop. Now there goes her plan to talk to her father first. She glanced at the clock, and saw it was too late to cancel the date with whomever her father set it up with. _Oh well, I probably should go and meet that man in-person. I may be able to convince him to invest in us without going through marriage._

Hanabi handed her a now familiar-looking folder- the _miai_ candidate packet. "I know you really liked that Naruto, but you know that our life does not belong to us alone. It belongs to the Hyuuga Corporation- its employers, its employees, its stockholders. Forget him, Onee-san, and focus on this person."

Hinata wordlessly traced the folder with her fingers before finally flipping it open.

The first thing that arrested her attention was the plentiful ashen hair of the man who seems only a few years older than her. His eyelids were closed, and a hasty note was scribbled apologizing to the lady reading his profile, as the prospect was congenitally blind.

There were details as well on his family's wealth and influence, but she paid little heed to it. Instead, she focused on the taut-lined face of the man on the photo.

"Otsutsuki Toneri," she murmured the name aloud, feeling a surge of compassion for the man she had not even met. "Yes. Yes, I will meet him."

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.

.

The insistent wake-up alarm of her phone forced Rin to open her eyes. When she finally gathered her wits, the first thing she noticed was that the ceiling was *not* her apartment's. She slowly sat up, her eyes roving around the space. The ceiling to glass window showcased the cityscape at daybreak, from a height that was certainly higher than the two-storey space she shares with her parents.

 _What happened last night? Hmm._ She was still wearing last night's party dress, and her hair was still pinned back, albeit loosely. Yes, she now recalls falling asleep in Kakashi's car.

 _Oh, shoot._ Her brain suddenly lost all trace of grogginess when she realized where she was. Frantically, she dashed out of the bedroom, only to crash hard against something solid. She could have toppled back if not for the quick pair of hands that grabbed her back to safety.

"Whoa there, Miss Energizer Bunny." A bare-chested, fresh-from-the-shower Hatake Kakashi gazed down at her, looking verily amused. "So this is how you get to work so early!"

She dutifully averted her eyes from his naked male form. "I shouldn't be here."

"Right you are." He stepped past her and headed for the pocket kitchen. "It's not usually my style to bring women to my pad, even if that woman turns out to be a childhood friend. But I don't want to bring you to a hotel either. And certainly not to your mom, who'll raise hell if she learns that her only daughter went home with a good-looking man, smelling like booze." He raised two cereal boxes for her to see. "Are you okay to have these for breakfast?"

"PUT ON SOME CLOTHES FIRST, KAKASHI."

"Sorry. I tend to forget how distracting I can be," he chuckled lightly, but he did head for his room to change. After a few minutes, he emerged from the room wearing a white polo shirt. It was partially unbuttoned, noted Rin wryly, but it was better than nothing.

She exasperatedly sat down the small dining table and accepted the bowl of cornflakes and milk from the man. He, too, sat down to eat.

"I got Obito to take your car here, so you don't have to pick it up at the clubhouse."

At last, Rin finally cracked a smile. "Thank Kami-sama." But it didn't last long. "What did he say about me being here?" she asked, feeling a bit nervous. Obito had always harbored a protective streak for her.

"Nothing."

Her eyebrow arched. "Really?" Now that was a first.

"Well, I may have not touched on the fact that you were fast asleep in my bedroom when we were chatting," he added. "It's just too early in the morning to be beaten within the inch of my life."

 _Figures._ "So Obito never asked for the reason that my car was brought to your pad?" she asked, incredulous.

"Can't blame him. Things are a little exciting for the royal household right now."

"W-What do you mean?"

Kakashi reached for the remote and turned on the LED TV hanging on the wall. The morning news show came on, with a live footage of a familiar-looking location. Its bulletproof glass, proud roof peaks, and manicured hedges were unmistakable.

"I-Isn't that…?"

The lawyer nodded. "The Imperial Palace' Chowaden Reception Hall."

Throngs of onlookers and reporters crowded the blocked facade of the imperial residence' largest building- a scene that typically happens only during the Emperor's birthday and the annual New Year's message.

"What's the Imperial Household Agency doing?" asked Rin,wide-eyed. "Everything's so chaotic!" This was the absolute last thing that the strict unit would permit. While the agency had recently (and pretty reluctantly) allowed unscripted press conferences, they were still very particular about the venue and the pool of journalists allowed to interview His Imperial Majesty.

The TV camera zoomed in towards the window, where a couple of figures slowly emerged to greet the crowd.

"The emperor is alive and well- long live the emperor!" chorused the crowds.

"But who are those beside him?" asked one news anchor. "It's so hard to see from this angle!"

"Isn't that the famed red-hot habanero minister beside him? guessed his female co-anchor.

"M-Minister Uzumaki!" Rin saw that her boss was dressed no differently, with her nondescript gray pantsuit and somber violet eyes. But for some reason, her aura on screen felt different. It was as if she was facing the biggest crisis of her life.

The emperor began to speak in his famed plodding pace, as expected of a royalty member who has reached the advanced age. He graciously thanked the public for their concern over his health, and reassured them that the court physicians had all given him a clean bill of health.

Rin sighed in relief, but she braced herself for more. Her boss' expression hinted there was more to this sudden public appearance of the emperor.

"But last night, in the presence of the Empress and the rest of the Imperial Family, I have started to contemplate on my role as the Emperor, ascribed to be the symbol of the State by the Constitution of Japan. I have come from a long line of tradition blessed by _Amaterasu_ 's divinity herself, and I feel nothing but deep responsibility to protect this tradition.

"I have been privileged to be accompanied in nearly my entire by the Empress, who possesses the purest, most benevolent heart in the land. We have shared with the nation our grief for failing to produce an heir, but..." The emperor paused and turned to his back, as if speaking to someone. Meanwhile, the crowd was buzzing with excited anticipation. Was there an heir after all?

Shortly, another figure emerged in the full view of the public. A man in his forties, dressed in charcoal black suit and rich silver tie, stood erect before the camera flashes and fascinated gapes of everyone. His plentiful golden hair and bright blue eyes resembled those of Westerners, but the stance, pride, and countenance of the man were starkly reminiscent of the emperor during his more youthful years.

"S-Sensei!" cried Rin, while Kakashi's forehead creased in worry.

"Many years ago, prior to meeting the Imperial Empress, I went abroad to pursue higher studies. I then met a woman who I had a brief relationship with, before returning to Japan to ascend the throne some forty years ago. However, I learned that our brief time together bore fruit. Upon her death, I took the boy home, and since then, he has brought me immeasurable joy." Pride tinged the emperor's usually stoic voice.

"I did not expect that the day I will introduce my son to my beloved land will come sooner than I thought. Yet I believe that this is but the will of the heavens, so that the sun's empire shall flourish forever more." The royal emperor raised his arm towards the people. "Therefore, I would like to introduce the nation to the Crown Prince, Minato Namikaze, and his wife, the Crown Princess, Uzumaki Kushina."

The audience responded automatically with cheers and well-wishes, while reporters resumed their broadcast and recap of what just unfolded minutes before.

Through it all, Minato maintained a warm, composed smile on his face, while Kushina looked primely uncomfortable, as if she wanted to be anywhere else than in the famed Imperial Palace window.

Rin groaned and clasped her head with both hands. "Not good… this is not good." Uzumaki Kushina had been very careful to keep her private family life under wraps all these years, only for all of her secrets to be unraveled before the public by His Imperial Highness himself.

Kakashi pressed the Mute button on the remote, and then dialed the phone. "Is Naruto with you?" he asked the minute someone answered the call. He also put the phone on speaker mode so Rin could listen in, too.

A worried-sounding Uchiha Obito spoke on the line. "He's with me. And he's not happy." He seemed to be driving, as he appeared to be in speaker mode, too, based on the ambient traffic noises that could be overheard.

"Well, as long as he's with you and safe, he can be the saddest potato in all of Japan for all we care," kidded Kakashi, before immediately turning serious. "Paparazzi will swarm all over him for sure, so put a leash on him."

"Roger that."

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.

.

Hyuuga Neji sat down on one of the wooden benches, jotting down on his notebook, as everyone around him buzzed about the sudden appearance of the emperor's heir.

The royal throne hierarchy was the least of his concerns, though. He was wrapping up his itinerary, as he knew that once he leaves the Nakamura Station on the way to the more rural parts of Shimanto, he might not have a decent internet connection to aid him on his way.

After almost an hour, Neji was finally satisfied with his list. Going past the steel mesh wall where the gold-plated "nakamura station" sign hung, he ventured towards the nearby buses.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Chapter 5

"Onee-san!" The door slid open, revealing a wide-eyed Hyuuga Hanabi panting in the hallway.

Hyuuga Hinata motioned for the maid, who was carefully styling her hair into an elegant bun, to give her and her sister a moment to talk. The heiress then faced her younger sister, an affectionate smile on her beautifully made-up face. "What is it?"

Hanabi bit her lower lip as she took in her elder sister's refined features that were made more entrancing by the regal red kimono she wore with queenly grace. Her sister reminded her of her most cherished porcelain doll- every inch as exquisite as she was hollow.

"Hanabi?"

She blinked. "A-Ah, yes!" Quickly, she slid the door closed and hurried towards her. "Did you see the broadcast about the emperor's announcement?"

"I heard it on the radio." Hinata gave her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Who would have known that Naruto-kun is such an important person, ne? Had I been more aware, I could have not been so impolite towards him." The forced airiness of her tone fooled no one in the room.

"I can't believe that you nearly had him as a marriage prospect!" Hanabi nibbled on her thumb as she reflected on the situation. "Just think of the amazing networks our family will have if you end up together!"

"Hanabi-"

She excitedly clasped her sister's trembling hands, her eyes bright in excitement. "Our problem will be solved if we can get him to our family's side! Father will be pleased! Why don't you try reaching out to him again like you did the last time-"

"HANABI."

The unexpected edge on her usually soft-spoken sister's voice stunned the girl into silence. It was the first time that she had ever heard her onee-san raise her voice at her, and she did not expect it to feel this hurtful.

Seeing her sister on the verge of tears, Hinata placed Hanabi's hands over her own heart and started to speak more gently. "Listen, _imouto_. The moment we start seeing people for their utility rather than their humanity is the moment we lose our soul."

"Onee-san…"

"To me, Naruto-kun is Naruto-kun- and nothing I've heard today will change that," finished Hinata with a smile.

Hanabi sighed, but looked visibly appeased. "You like him a lot, don't you, Onee-san?"

Colors flooded the elder heiress' face. "I-I…"

"And I bet you haven't told him that yet."

Hinata shook her head. "I don't want to be a bother to someone as kind-hearted as him."

"Why would you think your most precious feelings are bothersome to him?" The younger Hyuuga was beside herself in disbelief "Anyone will be happy to know he is loved!"

"I don't want to burden Naruto-kun with guilt because he can't feel the same way for me. There's... someone else he has been looking at since forever." Pain and sadness flickered in her longing eyes.

"Onee-san…"

Then as if snapped out of her daze, the raven-haired woman suddenly straightened her shoulders. "Hanabi, can you please help me with my hair? I love how you style yours with flowers."

To which, her sister smiled forcibly. "Sure."

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

For **Amasian** (your detailed reviews are such a writer's joy) and **Kakau** (for giving this multi-character story a try).

* * *

Haruno Sakura marched resolutely towards the lab that early morning, her fighting spirit immensely refreshed by last night's sleep. She was too shocked to say anything to her partner when he unceremoniously kicked her out of their research project last night. But today was different- she was hell-bent ready to charge to war!

 _You aren't getting rid of me that way, stupid Sasuke-kun!_

The lab entrance had a doorbell for guests, but she paid no attention to it. Instead, she moved the nearby potted plant, which hid a keypad connected to the door. They had an electronic lock installed with their own passcodes so that they wouldn't have to disturb each other amidst their work when they come in for the day.

She pressed her access code and waited for the door to open.

Nothing happened. The keypad, meanwhile, was blinking in red light.

 _Did I type that in wrong?_ She retyped her access code more slowly this time. Her forehead creased when nothing happened again.

 _So weird._ She had no choice but to disturb Sasuke and have him open the door for her. Her foot gingerly pushed the potted plant back to its place.

Just then, the door opened.

"Sasuke-kun, great timing! I was just about to-" Sakura halted when, instead of a dark-haired, brooding male, it was a fiery red-haired woman with brown eyeglasses who answered the door.

The woman's brow rose. "Oh? So you're Sasuke's former lab partner, huh?"

"W-Who are you?" Sakura's hand reached for her phone, ready to dial the emergency line in case the woman turned out to be a thief.

The woman let out a peal of catty laughter. "No wonder the intruder alert on the computer wouldn't let up." Her sharp gaze roved all over her. "Poor thing. Sasuke didn't tell you he changed the security around here?"

"I said, who are you?" The rose-haired scientist's mind was spinning its wheels furiously. Where was Sasuke? Why was it this woman who answered the door? What was their relationship?

"Call me Karin." Karin leaned against the door with a smirk. "I'm his new partner."

Her blood boiled. "Since when?"

"Since last night." Karin's smile was that of a canary that ate a particularly juicy worm. "He needed me _urgently_ , and of course I couldn't say no to him."

Her eyes narrowed in ire. "You're lying!" She immensely disliked this woman, as well as the sexually charged scenario her words implied. Most of all, she hated the dull ache she felt as she entertained the disgusting thought of this woman and Sasuke spending last night together.

The red-haired woman gave her a look of pity and condescension. "Suit yourself." She pivoted, sending her lavender coat fluttering.

"Where's Sasuke-kun?" she demanded angrily.

"Who knows?" The bespectacled woman shrugged. "You wouldn't believe the words of a liar like me anyway."

 _Shannaro!_ Her fists clenched. "TELL ME!"

"Brat. " In the blink of an eye, Karin slinked towards her ear, her voice dropping to an incisive whisper. "Be a good girl and run home to your mommy and daddy. Give Sasuke one less thing thing to worry about."

Alarm bells rung in her mind. "What do you mean?" _Is Sasuke-kun up to something no good?_

"Sakura?"

All at once, she felt relief flood into her upon hearing the familiar baritone of her childhood friend. She turned around and saw Uchiha Sasuke standing behind her, a couple of convenience store bags in hand. "S-Sasuke-kun…"

"Come inside, it's too chilly out here." He gestured for her to come into the lab as Karin walked away wordlessly. "You're earlier than usual."

"Y-Yeah." She allowed him to lead her into the place that served as her second home for so many years, yet which suddenly felt like a stranger, what with the other people inside and with security keeping her out.

 _You're overthinking things, Sakura!_ She forcefully shook her head, and then focused her eyes on her partner's strong, straight back- something she had been seeing for so many years, but only really looked at today. Over the years, she had relied on those broad shoulders to support her, not only in her research endeavors, but also her human need for companionship.

She wondered if he ever had considered her from a similar perspective, for why could he easily dismiss her with but one stupid jewelry box and a rueful smile?

The jewelry box was still in her coat, yet to be opened. She had no desire to peek at it, until at least she had cleared the air with her partner.

"Sit down. I'll make you some coffee to warm you up," he instructed, placing the grocery bags on his desk.

She nodded dumbly and sat down on her usual swivel chair. The screen was turned off, which also felt strange, as their monitors were always buzzing with some form of activity before.

"The lab looks less messier than usual," she remarked as her eyes roved around the place.

"Yes," he answered from the kitchen, where she could hear him preparing the morning brew. "I asked Karin to clean up a bit."

She couldn't understand the fresh swell of pain that opened up in her. "Oh, really?" Someone who wasn't her arranged his eternally-in-disarray books, straightened up their shared collection of specimens, and piled away their joint research papers and notes they've amassed over the years.

The unwelcoming research lab felt even larger and more foreign to her. And at that point, she wondered: if she would lose the lab, where else in the world would she belong to? All her life, she had only really known the small, dark lab with Skype nanny cameras and one tiny kitchen stocked with caffeine beverages good for one neighborhood.

The university was simply a place she visited to remind her professors that she was still matriculating and was on track for the mandatory academic degree, while her home was but a place to sleep in, as her parents had a different path in mind for her (namely, a housewife's).

 _So if I lose this lab…_ She felt the ugly taste of bile rise up her throat.

"I didn't have a chance to tell you that Karin's coming on board." Sasuke finally emerged from the kitchen, holding a tray. "I can't do things alone, so…"

"T-That's true." She accepted the mug of coffee from him and wrapped her fingers around it, appreciating how the warmth was gradually bringing sensation back into her system. "But I guess I was just surprised how easily you found my replacement."

Sasuke sat down on his own swivel chair, facing away from her pathetically forlorn form. "I needed help, that's all. No one's being replaced."

"Okay," she said quietly, taking a sip from her drink. It was sweet, as Sasuke knew she preferred six sugar cubes to cancel out the bitterness of her wake-upper. He once tried to (reasonably) explain that she would just suffer from sugar crash despite the caffeine, but when he saw how much she enjoyed her blend, he had taken it upon himself to learn her preferred mix by heart.

But now, who else would make coffee for her exactly the way she wanted it?

"We'll work together again," he spoke up, as if reading her mind. "So please, wait for me."

"I wonder about that," she remarked anemically, gulping down the saccharine liquid. Earlier, she had resolved to clarify everything with her research partner, even if it entailed a bloody screaming match. But after seeing the changes that took place in the lab, as well as meeting his new partner, she simply wanted to finish her drink and leave with her pride intact.

"I'll never take on another project after this, unless it's something we'll do as a team," he said quietly. "If you refuse, then I'd rather stop altogether. It's just not as good if it's not with you."

Her blood boiled at that. Angrily, she slammed the mug down the desk and leapt to her feet so she could face him. "If that's how you feel, then why the hell would you push me away, Sasuke-kun? Why did you ask that woman to touch our things… our lab? Why did you change the security codes without telling me first?"

He refused to meet her reproachful gaze.

"And why would you gift me with a pricey-looking jewelry box? What am I, some high-class whore you bedded?" Furiously, she fished out the velvet box and lobbed it at him. It hit him squarely on his chest before dropping on the floor with a dull thud.

Sasuke knelt down to pick up the velvet box and deposit it back to his coat pocket. And then finally he spoke, but with a tone of dismissal. "I'll take you back, Sakura."

Her emerald eyes clouded with tears. "Why are you not answering me properly? TALK TO ME, DAMN IT!" To her dismay, she heard her voice finally break in pain. "Ne, Sasuke-kun… don't I matter to you? Even just a bit?"

At that point, she felt as if something hit her hard. She staggered, fighting off the strangely compelling, hazy feeling of peacefulness that threatened to overcome her senses. Her lids were getting heavy, and she felt her muscles were starting to grow weak.

 _The coffee… he must have put something in it._ Certain sleeping pills needed as little as ten minutes to take effect. Why was she so stupid as not to have noticed?

Just as she was about to slump down, she felt Sasuke catch her and pull her to his embrace. Wrapped so closely in his arms, she realized she was now privy to his strangely erratic heartbeat. She then felt him bring his face closer to her ear.

"You _do_ matter to me, Sakura. In this life, and probably in all of my lives, you are the one that matters the most."

 _Sasuke-kun, why do you sound so sad saying that? No, no. This must be a dream sequence of some sort, like in the movies. When I wake up in my bed, I'll have a good laugh at this. For now, I'll close my eyes and rest. Yes, a good rest sounds very nice right now._

Sasuke finally let out a sigh of relief when he sensed Sakura's even breathing now. Carefully, he lifted her limp body up and turned to Karin, who had appeared in the corner of the room. "There's a futon near where you're standing at. Lay it out."

"No way will I lift a finger for that whiny little spoiled brat." With narrowed eyes, she turned to the doorway. "Oi, Suigetsu, put yourself to good use and get your ass over here."

The purple-eyed male appeared, stretching his arms lazily. "Psh. That's a woman's job-" He was interrupted by a test tube rack hurled his way.

"So you're really leaving the girl behind?" Karin asked, turning back at Sasuke.

He let out a grunt. "I have no choice, don't I? I don't want him getting his hands on her."

The bespectacled woman let out a derisive snort. "Then you shouldn't have sought our boss out for his help."

"No. I want to finish this research up quickly." He gently tucked the slumbering Sakura into the futon. "The technology, facilities, and body of knowledge I need… only he can offer me what I need." _Then this idiot wouldn't have to recklessly endanger herself anymore._

Suigetsu's head popped into the room. "Are you done, Sasuke? We better go. You wouldn't want Jugo getting impatient."

"Right." Sasuke gave his sleeping partner one more lingering look of tenderness, then fondly poked her forehead. "I'll see you soon."

.

.

.

 _Yamanaka Ino entered the suite room- the best one in the hospital wing named after her father, who was one of the largest donors of the medical institution- and sat down on the visitor's chair._

 _Weeks before, she would have seen the man seated by the window, stubbornly smoking right beside the No Smoking sign prominently placed on the wall. In his healthier days, she would have seen him playing shogi by himself, engrossed in a world of strategical wars of knights and kings and dragons and horses. It was a world he certainly preferred over his own, where something that used to be as banal as breathing had become a struggle, and where his own body fluids can mercilessly drown him at its whim._

 _The patient stirred, perhaps sensing another presence in the lonely confines of his room._

" _How are you feeling today?" she began, as if it was but a small talk to pass the ordinary lull away._

" _Tired," he croaked simply._

 _The man lying on the hospital bed seemed like he had aged twenty years. His eyes were sunken, his cheeks hollowed. He had lost a considerable amount of weight since he was first brought in, no thanks to the sense of hunger and thirst he had already lost a week ago._

" _I see." She wore an impeccable mask of a medical professional- collected, calm, and knowledgeable. But deep inside, she could feel dread forming within her. When she inspected his clammy skin, she noted its frightening temperature drop that coincided with his body cooling way below the normal threshold. Mottling had also started to develop in areas of his upper extremities, indicating a continued decrease of blood perfusion._

" _Tell me if you feel discomfort in any way," she instructed, carefully turning him to his side. Her patient let out a low groan, but otherwise said nothing else. She knew he would die of mortification before he would permit a woman to take notice of his weakness._

 _She reached for the bottle of lotion on the bedside table and began to dutifully apply the thick, smooth liquid on his skin. Again, he said nothing, but seeing the immense relief on his face was rewarding enough for her._

" _How far along is she?" he asked, finally stringing a sentence longer than a breath's gasp. It seemed he was happy to spend the entire strength he had saved up all day, just to ask about that woman._

" _It's a bit of a rough final trimester for her, but she will be all right. She's a strong woman." She paused, willing her fingers not to tremble. "So, don't lose to her. You have to see your boy."_

" _M-My… boy…"_

 _Ino put back the cap of the lotion bottle and abruptly excused herself, but the man seemed to have not even heard her. He was lost in another world, perhaps in another shogi match that he would never be able to teach his son._

 _The one who deprived the boy of a father, and a woman her husband, was beyond even the most merciful God's lenience. She was a monster. And in her heart of hearts, she knew that even if she served her whole life in penance for what she did, she knew there would be no release for her from her sin._

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"Yamanaka-sensei."

Her lashes fluttered as her eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the glimmering daylight. They were parked in front of a convenience store, and Sai was looking at her worriedly. "H-How long have I been sleeping?"

"A few hours." Her driver-cum-bodyguard unbuckled his seatbelt so he could move closer to her. And then with gentleness reserved for someone's most precious, he gingerly wiped the tears in her eyes away with his fingers. "My sax playlist must have really moved you, Sensei."

"No doubt it did," she replied, smiling weakly. She was grateful he chose not to comment on her tearfulness, as she would not have known how to answer it without fumbling over lies.

He smiled back. "Sometimes, it's not really the music that affects us, but the people and things that come to our mind when we hear it."

To which, she narrowed her eyes. "So you've shifted careers now? Because you sound like a greeting card writer who's now making a living by writing mushy web romance novels for teenage girls."

"Oh my! Yamanaka-sensei is quite grouchy without breakfast. Let's remedy that, shall we?" He reached for the convenience store plastic bags at the backseat and handed one to her. "Here you go!"

Her annoyance went down a notch when she caught a whiff of her favorite comfort food. "Chocolate pudding! Well done, Sai!" She intended to beam at him approvingly, but noticed that her driver was not holding anything. He was seemingly content to watch her brighten up over something as childish as sweets.

"Aren't you going to eat?" She discreetly checked the food bag if there's something else aside from her beloved pudding that she could offer him.

He grinned. "Don't worry, Sensei. I've already had my fill."

"If you say so."She took a whopping spoonful of the lusciously sweet snack from the cup. "Would you like me to take over the wheel after this so you can rest up a bit? You've been up driving all night."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Sensei, but please don't worry about me. I've gone by with less hours of sleep before."

 _Really?_ Now that she thought about it, she knew little about what Sai used to do before she was adopted by her father. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

"I'd appreciate it if you can keep me company with your stories, though," he continued, smiling good-naturedly. "Just not surgery-related ones. The last time you told me about necrotizing fasciitis, I had to watch four straight hours of cat videos online just so my brain can override the fascinatingly sordid details you shared. Good times."

Ino was about to fire off a retort when her mobile phone rang. She half-expected it to be Sakura, pestering her to ask where she was now. Curiously though, the number on the phone display was not registered.

Picking it up, she answered in her crisp, professional tone. "Hello, Yamanaka Ino speaking."

"Sensei, it's me." It was a male voice she had not heard for years, but one she could recognize in a heartbeat.

"Sasuke-kun!" She wanted to ask how he was, but he sounded distracted, so she knew this was in no way a social call. Which meant only one thing. "Is it Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah. I need your help."

"O-Of course I'll help- hey!" Ino balked when she felt her driver's arm snake around her neck. Then with speed that she could only describe as superhuman, he adeptly fished her phone away from her grip. She watched wide-eyed as he pressed the Speaker button on the screen.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san! I'm Sai, Yamanaka-sensei's boy toy," he casually introduced himself.

No one responded from the other end of the line. Ino couldn't blame her former classmate- if she were him, she didn't how she would reply to that, either.

But her driver went on without skipping a beat. "Pardon my rudeness, as the last time someone asked for my good Sensei's help, she ended up leaving in the middle of the night with a suitcase of, uh, research drugs in tow." Despite his affable tone, its steely edge was unmistakable. "So I hope you'll understand why I would like to listen in to this conversation, too."

"My apologies for that," replied Sasuke with a note of ruefulness. "Sakura can be quite… spontaneous at times."

"I understand. Sensei can sometimes be... high-spirited as well." Using his shoulder, he deftly blocked her attempt to reach for the phone. "Very playful, like a baby shark."

 _Why, you little…_ She stared daggers at her driver, as she was unable to voice out expletives without her former crush overhearing her unlady-like words.

"So what help do you need from * _my*_ Yamanaka-sensei, Uchiha Sasuke-san?" asked Sai pleasantly, soothingly brushing the top of her head with his left hand.

In an instant, her hackles were raised. She fumingly made a cutthroat sign, pointed at him, and then stuck her tongue out to the side. Rather than being intimidated, Sai pinched her cheeks with his free hand, as if she was the most adorable thing in the world..

It was plain to see that he was thoroughly enjoying the immunity afforded to him by the speaker phone.

"Can you please check on Sakura?" Sasuke then began to recount what happened that morning.

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.

Hyuuga Hinata was ushered in by no less than the restaurant manager himself when she provided her reservation details. No doubt Otsutsuki Toneri was a very important patron of the upscale restaurant- one of the select establishments that catered exclusively to Tokyo's most affluent and most influential.

After passing through a large ornate staircase that featured a splendidly cascading ebony beaded chandelier as its suspended centerpiece, she was led to a private room at the farthest end of the carpeted hallway.

Her eyes immediately spotted him the minute she entered. Fully clad in white in a sea of men in dark suits standing respectfully by him, her marriage prospect was not particularly hard to miss.

One of the men bent down and whispered something to Toneri's ear. The male turned to her general direction, his eyelids closed.

"Come in, Hyuuga Hinata-san."

"Thank you." She found herself a place to sit across him, while the man in suit continue to whisper to his master's ear, to which Toneri nodded. Then he spoke.

"I've been informed by my men of how lovely you are. They say the photograph does not do you justice."

Then and now, accepting compliments graciously had been her waterloo. She looked down, embarrassed. "Thank you. Your men are too kind."

A look of intrigue crossed the man's face, but he commented no further. "Well then, let's eat." At these words, the door slid open, and several food attendants brought in trays of varied succulent-looking dishes, ranging from a _shabu-shabu_ of perfectly marbled Wagyu beef to charcoal-broiled freshwater eel.

Hinata watched as the ashen-haired master lightly trailed his fingers over the table, as if establishing his anchors and spatial reference points. At the same time, he listened intently to the food attendant describe what each of the dishes were and where they were located on the table. It didn't take long for him to orient himself to his satisfaction, as she noticed he now knew exactly where to get his chopsticks or the _miso_ soup bowl.

"Enjoy your meal, Otsutsuki-sama, Hyuuga-sama." The food attendants bowed and excused themselves upon completing their duties.

"You aren't eating, Hyuuga Hinata-san. Is the food not to your liking?" asked Toneri evenly.

 _H-How did he…?_ She then realized that the sound of glassware was only coming from Toneri's side. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I-I was just…" She couldn't tell him that she was engrossed in watching him navigate the dining table expertly- at least not without coming across as ignorant, patronizing, or offensive.

"Were you expecting my men to whip up a bib and a high chair to feed me?" he asked, somewhat sounding testy.

To his surprise, the heiress giggled softly.

"Is my disability a joke to you, Hyuuga-san?" he asked darkly.

"S-Sorry, that's not my intention at all. It's just that… you remind me so much of my cousin, Neji-niisan," she admitted, still chuckling. "He takes such pride of who he is, whether it be his strengths or his weaknesses. He says it's because those all add up to a sum of who he is in this world."

Toneri's men let out a collective sigh of relief when they noted their young master's shoulders loosen.

"You sound quite fond of him. Where is he right now?" he asked as the woman started to eat. "My men say you came here alone. Shouldn't he or your father be accompanying you to your _miai_?"

Hinata dabbed the napkin at the corner of her mouth before she resumed speaking. "My cousin is away on a sabbatical, while Father is not feeling well at the moment. I apologize on their behalf, and please know that they have no intention to offend you by not being able to make it today, Otsutsuki-san."

He held out a hand dismissively. "I am used to people not showing up… or being looked down on. After all, a blind man could only be a burden to another person's family."

"I wonder about that." The Hyuuga heiress sounded genuinely thoughtful. "You seem to be the kind of person who would be the first to not forgive himself if he ends up as someone's burden."

 _This woman…_ In but a few minutes of meeting him, how could a naive, sheltered heiress have figured him out so easily? Prior to this, the few marriage prospects who did agree to meet him were either intimidated by his callousness, or looked bored and impatient as they waited for the eventual discussion of financials among men.

 _But this woman…_ She talked to him like an old friend, and she didn't seem to mind his acerbic ways, or that he had an irreparable defect that 99.5% of the population did not have.

"And you seem to be the kind of person who likes to see the glass as always half-full," he remarked, forgetting the food, the _miai_ setting, and everything else but the strange woman before him. "Always looking for the best in a person, justifying someone's actions by thinking that the person must have done something bad for a good reason."

"Is that so?" She didn't sound offended by his cynical take on her personality; she even seemed amused. "I guess it's more comfortable for me to trust a person than to think of reasons why I should not."

He couldn't suppress a smile. "When we get married, I'll have my job cut out in protecting you from charlatans."

"A-About that…"

He nonchalantly continued his meal. "Money will not be an issue, Hyuuga Hinata-san. Tell me the price you have in mind. I don't mind paying handsomely for things I truly like."

He sensed her sharp breath intake, and truth to be told, it puzzled him. Was this not the reason most brides wait for? Was his offer not generous enough for her?

"I-I'm sorry, Otsutsuki-san. I… I did not come here to discuss our marriage," she said softly.

He placed his chopsticks down. "Ah, so you just came for a free meal?" he asked sarcastically. "I heard that the Hyuuga family is facing difficult times, but I must say, I did not expect it to this extent."

He heard her put her chopsticks away as well, and for a moment, he regretted his jibe. He didn't mean to ruin the gaiety at the table, but he felt an irrational urge to lash out after hearing that the heiress had no desire to discuss marriage after all. And here thought he had finally found himself a satisfactory bride.

He heard her take a deep breath, as if bracing herself for more cutting remarks from him. "I would like to propose a business deal."

"A deal?" _Did her father use her as a bait?_ "Then I'm afraid you'd have to make an appointment with my secretary for that," he said coldly. "I don't transact business outside my office. Tell your father that my calendar is booked for at least the next two months."

"W-Wait!"

He was startled by the hand that suddenly encircled his wrist, as well as the noise of plates crashing on the floor. He heard his men jump up in alert, and he knew that the next action they would take was to restrain the _oujo-sama_.

"Stand down," he instructed sternly.

"Yes, sir," chorused his bodyguards, who were trained to quickly return to their silent guard stance as they would to jump into action.

"Forgive my men's actions," he said to the heiress, belatedly realizing how gentler he sounded. "Blind people should not be touched so easily, Hyuuga-san. It's dangerous and disorienting."

"M-My apologies as well," she murmured, sounding a bit shaken. "I failed to consider that at all."

He felt her let go of him, and it was all he could do not to reach out and hold her back. He did not know how much he craved for the warmth of other people's touch till today. Till Hyuuga Hinata. It was maddening, how she suddenly and single-handedly created an overwhelming need in him that he thought he did not want till now.

"I-I'll call your secretary to set up an appointment. I-I'm willing to wait, no matter how long it takes," she said quietly. "Thank you for the wonderful meal, Otsutsuki-san. I had fun." Met by silence, her shoulders sagged in defeat. "I'll be leaving first then. Please take care."

He couldn't trust himself to speak, even when he heard her retreating footsteps from the room.

After a while, he called one of his bodyguards over.

"Sir?" the man asked nervously.

"Bring me the _miai_ file."

The folder was hastily handed to him. In the presence of his select men, Toneri had no qualms opening his legally sightless eyes. While many people misconstrue his congenital blindness with total lack of light perception, he actually retained a miniscule field of vision- 10%, more or less. He never bothered to correct people's assumption, for he held it as an advantage. It allowed him to freely observe people's true nature they would otherwise not show when they know they're being watched.

Today was the first time in a very long while that he cursed the near-complete darkness of his world. Here he was, making the most out of the pitifully meager sight left in him, in order to see and commit to his memory the face of the woman who captured his interest in just one meeting.

His men did not exaggerate. Hyuuga Hinata was truly beautiful,especially when he connected the face on the photo to the soft-spoken voice he heard earlier.

But beneath the pure-hearted faintness, the eyes of his mind could see she had grit. Heiress to a crumbling, antiquated business empire, and yet coming to a _miai_ on her own to reject a marriage bid and propose a deal instead? She was definitely not a conventional _oujo-sama_.

"What an interesting woman. I'm certain we'll meet again," he murmured, smiling fully now.

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.

Hyuuga Hinata leaned against the wall, sighing. _That scared me!_ She had an inkling that her marriage prospect would not be too pleased to be informed that she didn't want to go through the _omiai_ after all, but she was hoping she could have at least put a few words in about inviting Otsutsuki Toneri to invest in their company before she was unceremoniously kicked out.

 _Neji-niisan, pray tell, how did you manage to be such a good salesman?_ she cried inwardly as she turned to the corner where the grand staircase was located.

To her surprise, she crashed directly to a strong, warm wall. The momentum would have sent her flying back, but a pair of arms saved her from a nasty fall in the nick of time.

"T-Thank you-ehhhh?!" Her face turned flushed when she saw who her savior was.

It was none other than Uzumaki Naruto, donning the full navy blue parade uniform of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. He, too, was gaping at her wide-eyed, as if unable to recognize the lovely, flustered kimono-clad woman in his arms.

"Hyuuga-sama!"

Hinata embarrassedly turned to her right and saw a harassed-looking wait staff rushing towards them.

"Thank heavens you're still here!" The restaurant employee bowed apologetically at her. "I am so sorry, but Colonel Uzumaki insisted to see you. He promised to be discreet!" The harried lady seemed like she wanted to point her fingers accusingly at the man, but couldn't do so without jeopardizing her job.

The Hyuuga heiress turned to the blond male, who was still staring at her as if in a mesmerized trance. "N-Naruto-kun?"

At the sound of his name, Naruto finally snapped out of his daze and instinctively steadied her on her feet. "Sorry, sorry! Are you alright, Hinata?"

She nodded, still baffled by her friend's presence in the restaurant. Nonetheless, she faced the stressed employee and told her she and Naruto would be leaving the premises, as her lunch had just concluded anyway. This immediately brought immense relief in the woman's face.

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.

"What a coincidence that you were in the same restaurant, Naruto-kun," began Hinata as she and Naruto settled in the backseat of the car. "Were you going to meet someone, too?" She figured it was the reason he was dressed so nicely this morning.

"No, Oujo-sama," interrupted Uchiha Obito from the driver's seat. "He skipped the emperor's announcement this morning, abducted me as his driver, and convinced Hanabi-sama to share your itinerary for the day."

"Y-You met Hanabi?!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"S-Something like that," chuckled Obito after he felt a kick at the back of his car seat. "You look very beautiful this morning, by the way."

"T-Thank you!" Hinata was too caught up in her embarrassment to notice Naruto deliver another solid kick underneath the driver car seat.

"I thought you weren't going to attend any more marriage meetings?" asked Naruto, looking bummed.

She gave him a sheepish smile. "I didn't. I was hoping to get my _miai_ partner as an investor. Though I think I only succeeded in vexing him."

"Good."

"E-Eh?" She turned to him, flabbergasted.

Obito laughed out loud. "Naruto meant it's good that you're taking the initiative to seek investors for your company."

"Ah, I see!" She nodded enthusiastically to this. "I have great confidence in what we can do once we upgrade our machinery. Our family name is synonymous to quality and reliability, after all."

The driver winked at Naruto conspiratorially, while the latter rolled his eyes. Any instance that he owed Uchiha Obito a favor was not something to look forward to.

"By the way, Naruto-kun, why did you need to see me?" asked Hinata, cocking her head inquisitively.

He cupped his chin with his hand, looking out at the car window. "Did you hear about the emperor's announcement?"

She looked down at her lap, nodding speechlessly.

"What do you think about it?" he asked, still refusing to face her.

"W-Well, I think it's bound to become an important life-changer for you," she responded gently. "From this point on, things will only become harder and harder. The things you used to take for granted will suddenly become a luxury, like your privacy. But..." A mellow smile blossomed on her face. "... it's joyous news as well to the nation, as the throne's future has been secured, thanks to your family's appearance."

"No, I mean, what do YOU think about it?" he asked, whirling to face her with a look of urgency in his blue eyes. "Tell it to me straight-what Hinata thinks, not what a general citizen thinks!"

"E-Eh?" She clasped her hands nervously. "W-What I think about you isn't really that important…"

"Of course it is! I asked you, didn't I?! GRAH!" Naruto pulled off his military cap and messed up his hair in frustration. "Forget it. Do you have anywhere else to go to after this?"

"N-No."

Naruto grinned. "Great! Come with me. My mother wants to meet you."

"E-EH?!"

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"Ungghhh…" Haruno Sakura weakly opened her eyes, feeling strangely light-headed. Her body felt lethargic all over, with a peculiar tingling sensation in her appendages. To her right, she saw a pale-faced man with a mop of dark hair. He was comfortably seated on the floor, fussing with a sketch pad that was balanced precariously on his knee.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" she whispered uncertainly.

The man turned to her, and her heart dropped. It was not Uchiha Sasuke. Tears began to fill her eyes again. _He really left. That blockhead really went away._

To her surprise, the man spoke up pleasantly. "Please don't cry, Sakura-san. Yamanaka-sensei might get the wrong idea and whip me with her stethoscope." He considered that for a minute. "Hmm, on second thought, please be my guest and cry as you please."

"Y-You know who I am?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah!" he nodded smilingly. "Haruno Sakura, the girl who got dumped by Uchiha Sasuke-san, right?"

An invisible rope snapped within Sakura.

" _SHANNARO!"_

Ino came in, holding a MIMS book. "What's the ruckus all about-" She looked at the violently punched Sai and the panting Sakura. "Oh, you're up now, Forehead Girl. Glad to see you've recovered more quickly than anticipated."

"Ino-pig! Who's this clown?" her rose-haired patient snapped, glaring at the affably smiling man.

"Nobody important." She sat down beside the woman's futon. "Aside from murderous urges towards my bodyguard, what else do you feel?"

"Just generally tired," replied Sakura after assessing herself quietly for a minute.

"She's not tired enough," quipped Sai, nursing his bruised cheek. "Sensei, it hurts! Please shower me with your TLC as well!"

"Sai, any more oxygen wastage from you and I swear to God I will mix a box of ativan soaked in Asahi Super Dry with your lunch today." The doctor then turned to her patient again. "Sasuke-kun gave you a safe dosage of Xanax, so the worst thing that can happen is you'll be feeling drowsy at day."

Sakura looked away, tears threatening to spill again. "He wanted to get away that much from me, huh?"

Ino crossed her arms over her chest. "He was actually the one who asked me to see you right away. I'm sure that means something."

 _Is she trying to make me feel better?_ Sakura had to smile at that."Thank you for coming here, Ino-pig."

The physician pouted. "It's not as if I did this to earn your gratitude, Forehead Girl."

Sakura closed her eyes, trying to sort out her hazy memory. She couldn't clearly remember what happened, but she recalled it had something to do with the coffee he offered her. "D-Did Sasuke-kun tell you where he was going?"

Ino shook her head slowly. "But he told me that he doesn't need me to administer the drugs you requested last night. It seems he found another way to reproduce a serotonin syndrome."

The researcher's eyes flapped open in alarm. "H-He's still doing it!" She popped up and kicked away her blanket, ignoring the nausea that overcame her. "I have to find him… he can't do this without me… he can't…"

Ino lightly bonked Sakura's head with her book. "You bimbo. Sasuke-kun worked so hard in executing this soap opera-level of scheming just so he could keep you safe. Can't you respect his wishes?"

Sakura's fists clenched. "I-I'm his partner! I can't be safe when he's not! I have to do this with him!"

She received another bonk on the head in response. "Can't you be a little more honest with your feelings, Forehead Girl? How long have you and Sasuke-kun been dancing around each other in circles? Seven years?"

"That hurts, Ino-chan!" she whined, rubbing her smarting head.

"Oh, wow, you're right. This happens to be the hardcover annual edition," said Ino, nonchalantly inspecting the 400-page tome before turning to her again. "Anyway, realize that partners who are just partners don't act as if their husbands abandoned them to elope with the chambermaid. Partners who are just partners don't hurt their partners and keep them away just to ensure they're safe- _what_ are you doing, Sakura?!"

Sakura punched a speed-dial number on her phone. "In cases like this, only one person can help me find him." She knew that Sasuke was not imprudent as to do something dangerous without informing the one person who could bail him out if push comes to shove.

The person answered on first ring. "Sakura-chan!" greeted Uchiha Itachi brightly. "How's my little bride?"

Sakura cracked a smile. Years ago, Itachi learned that the best way to get under the skin of his little brother was to pick on her, particularly about marrying her into the Uchiha family. _Not that I can blame him: why would he want to be related to his rival?_ "Sasuke-kun's missing, Itachi-san. Do you know where to find him?"

She heard him pause briefly, which meant he knew her partner's whereabouts. "Maybe. But Sasuke may have kept this from you for a good reason-"

 _Darn it! I have no choice but to do this._ She shut her eyes tight, and then in her cutest, tiniest, sing-songy voice, she pleaded, "Pleaaaaaaaseeeeee, _O-nii-chan_?"

"HAHA, OF COURSE, SAKURA-CHAN! JOT DOWN THIS ADDRESS!"

Ino and Sai gaped incredulously as Sakura triumphantly scribbled down the address provided to her.

"These Uchiha brothers…" The lady physician could only exasperatedly massage her temples.

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.

"No, we are unable to answer any more questions besides those that were addressed in our ministry's official statement. Good day." Nohara Rin ended the call and placed it on the step above hers. She was seated in the building's emergency stairs, hiding out from the press.

After the emperor's announcement, everybody wanted to know: what would happen to Minister Uzumaki? How did she end up embroiled in the royal family? Will she really become the Empress?

The Imperial Household Agency's official statement was admittedly lacking in details, so she couldn't blame the media and the general public for wanting to know more. _But do they really have to hound us so tirelessly?_

"Tough morning?"

Rin nearly jumped in surprise. Uzumaki Kushina was leaning from the window, looking down to where she was. "M-Minister! I-I mean Crown Princess!"

"Mind if I join you?" She had barely nodded when the woman effortlessly jumped down from the window, landing perfectly on the stairs.

"P-Please don't do that again, Minister!" Rin must have looked positively terrified that her boss let out an entertained laughter.

"Oh, please! The days that I can do these without giving the old fogies a heart attack are numbered, so let me do these while I still can." Kushina leaned against the railing, enjoying the afternoon breeze. "I'm so jealous of my son who managed to get away from today's hullabaloo. His godfather and father both taught him well, ya know?"

The secretary hugged her knees to her chest. "I'm so sorry, Minister. You've tried so hard to keep this a secret for so long." She remembered the troubled look on her boss' face during the announcement.

The scarlet-haired woman tucked a stray wisp of her hair behind her ear. "I figured we couldn't keep it a secret forever. But I was hoping to do it later rather than sooner. I still haven't achieved it… my dearest dream."

Rin knew immediately what the minister was pertaining to. Uzumaki Kushina dreamt of becoming the first female prime minister of Japan. Having been an advocate of women and children since her early activism days in university, Kushina wanted to create a society that offered equitable access to opportunities, regardless of one's gender, in an industrialized nation notorious for its prevailing backwards notions about women.

"By becoming a female prime minister, I would have opened so many paths for Japanese girls and women everywhere," the politician said wistfully. "Instead, I would have to content myself with becoming just another fairy tale princess lifted from the crowd of commoners."

"Minister…"

Kushina turned to her again, this time smiling warmly. "But we can't have everything we want in this world, can we? Otherwise, why else would we struggle? A life without struggle is boring."

"It'll definitely happen someday, though."

"Hmm?" The female minister turned to the younger woman curiously.

"Japan's first female prime minister." Rin grinned at her beloved mentor. "You may not be able to make it happen today, but we'll prepare the path for her and make your dream an inevitability."

To her surprise, Kushina suddenly hugged her, affectionately swinging her left and right. "My mini-me is soooo cute! You really know how to cheer me up, Rin-chan!"

"M-Minister, please! Stop overwhelming me with your ample assets! MINISTER!"

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Hyuuga Neji sat on the booth alone in the town pub as he finished his seared bonito and cold rice wine. He had just gotten off the bus and spent the entire morning checking out Shimanto's biggest landmarks.

 _I'll tell you my secret in fortunetelling. It's asking._ Tenten of the other timeline once told him that matter-of-factly. Interestingly, he was now using her advice to seek her persona in this timeline.

This morning, he was able to talk with more people than he had ever talked to anyone in his entire stay at the Hyuuga Complex. Holding up the digital photos he took of Rock Lee's news articles, he asked residents if they recognized the person. After exchanging curious glances, most of them would answer his questions with questions of their own.

 _Why are you looking for him?_ He explained that this person has ties to a woman he needs to meet at all cost.

 _Why are you looking for her?_ He answered that he hoped to fulfill someone's wishes by finding her.

They then unanimously directed him to the best-known pub in town, which was how he ended up eating some of the best-tasting seafood he had ever had.

Neji reviewed the notes he was able to compile about the place. The ageing Shimanto was losing its population to Kochi and other bigger cities in the country. Aside from the famed sinking bridge and the Shimanto River, the sleepy place consisted of nothing else but roads, mountains, and ricefields. There was also a nearby beach, but Japan had other finer, more beautiful beaches in Okinawa. Houses were far apart from each other, and understandably, there was a dearth of reliable public transportation. He recalled seeing the bike and scooter rental shops near the tourist information center, and he made a mental note to visit it after lunch.

 _This place is pretty much the textbook definition of a rural town with a dwindling community. Therefore. it's highly likely that everyone here must at least be acquainted with everyone else._ He took a sip of his drink. _They must know Rock Lee, or they would have just easily told me they didn't know him. But why would they keep his whereabouts a secret?_

He was suddenly distracted by the sudden sound of shuffling chairs and booming laughter. Off-key singing and chants of "Kanpai!" rang from the other booth.

 _For people to get drunk at high noon… it must be nice to be so carefree about life,_ he thought, not without disdain. For someone like him whose life revolved around family affairs, the business empire, and schooling, he fretted frequently about not having enough hours in a day to accomplish all his commitments and to-dos.

He was about to resume his meal when he heard the boisterous laughter hit the crescendo. Annoyed, he turned back to the booth and saw that a waitress was now standing by the table, quietly asking the patrons to be considerate about the other pub customers.

"Is this how you welcome tourists?" The loudest one in the group yelled angrily, followed by a chorus of "Yeah!" from his peers.

Another potbellied man, red-faced and drunk, excitedly encircled his arm around the waitress' waist. "Come're and entertain us, lass."

The drunk's grip barely lasted a second, as he cried out in pain and immediately let go of the stunned waitress. The old man watched in horror as his ring and pinky finger involuntarily bent towards his inner palm, shaping his hand into a claw.

Neji nonchalantly let go of the man's lower arm, making it drop uselessly to the drunk's side. "I didn't thoroughly damage your low ulnar nerve, so the effects wouldn't be debilitating. It'll regrow in a month or so, provided you don't keep pulling stupid antics like this."

With one arm extended protectively in front of the waitress, he then looked at each and every one's terrified faces in the terrified booth, daring them to make even one move. Without casting his eyes away from the men, he told the woman, "Please go inside and call the police."

"Mister, you didn't have to disfigure his hand in front of our customers!"

Hyuuga Neji's entire system froze when he heard the recognizable voice from behind. It was the same voice that haunted him in his nightly dreams and daytime reverie.

Slowly, he turned around and saw the waitress' coffee-brown eyes and dark brown hair pulled back by a head scarf. The impeccable body stance, the familiar annoyed curve on her lips...

"Tenten?"

Her eyes widened in response. And before he could explain further, he felt an excruciatingl blow at the back of his chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	6. Chapter 6

_Ouch!_ Hyuuga Neji managed to suppress his pained cry though, as a third pain relief patch was unceremoniously slapped against his back by an unhappy-looking Tenten.

She then handed him back his shirt. "Put this back on."

He obediently took it from her hands and carefully slung his arms into each sleeve, concealing the painful winces as he did so. From the corner of his eye, he could see the woman nonchalantly treating her own bruises.

"Don't pity me, Mister," she spoke out of the blue, not taking her eyes off what she was doing. "I've had worse fights than this."

"No. It's just that you're tying the bandages wrong." He moved closer to her and gestured towards her arm. "May I?"

The brown-eyed woman pursed her lips for a moment, and then shrugged.

He carefully took her bruised arm and began to dress it with a careful, methodical precision that she mused was not much different from what Tsunade-sensei would employ when attending to Rock Lee's injuries. Even then, she could not help but notice his mindful gentleness as he held her, as if he was afraid she would easily break like glass. It all felt strange and new, for someone like her who grew up among boys and was used to roughing it up.

"Are you a doctor?" she asked as he snipped off the excess bandage.

"I read a few books," he answered simply.

She rolled her eyes in response. "If that's how learning works, then I should be a friggin' Iron Chef right now, with all the cookbooks that the pub owner has forced me to memorize."

But it was the truth, at least for him.

At barely six, he overheard the adults in the house whispering furiously about the dying Hizashi Hyuuga and his rare neurological disease that forced him into early retirement despite his sterling performance as the President of the Hyuuga business empire. The first thing his uncle did when he took the vacated position was to send his father overseas for treatment options. He, on the other hand, dedicated his every free minute into reading every available medical book in the library, desperately wanting to make sense of the difficult words meant for comprehension decades ahead of his.

While he didn't understand much of the technicality of the disease, this much he knew: there was no known cure for the disease that affected only one every one million people.

He was going to lose his father.

At the age of six, he got his first taste of dark despair. For the first time, he realized how small and insignificant a cog he was, struggling vainly against the bigger, grander machinations of fate.

But his father, in his last few moments of wakeful coherence, requested him to be strong for his two little cousins.

 _Let me live through you, Neji. I live as long as you live, for you are my son._

Long after his father's funeral and Hiashi's decision to make him the business' right-hand man, he continued to read medical books secretly. What he didn't understand at six, he was now starting to unlock more easily.

It was at that point he understood how powerful knowledge is. Knowing things expanded his understanding of himself in relation to the world. He began to broaden his reading selections to classical and modern literature, economics, philosophy, and history. In his mind, he began to see interconnecting webs between and among the topics he read, making them easier to understand and retain.

Soon enough, the little cog grew himself into a bigger sprocket that can command pulleys through mere chains. He was still a blip in the universe's mechanics, of course, but it felt good to know that there were a few things he could at least keep under his control by simply knowing how these work.

This gave rise to his reputation as a clan prodigy-someone who came only once in a couple of generations or so. But he never gave much weight to that, for he was merely carrying out his duties as his father's son and living memory.

"Done." He finally let go of her bandaged arm, and then watched as the woman inspect his handiwork.

"This is bad," she murmured under her breath.

His forehead creased in concern. "Does the bandage hurt?" In his mind, he backtracked through the steps he did to see which one he messed up on.

"No. I mean, this is _bad_ , because apparently, I've been dressing Lee's bandages wrong for years." She placed her arms behind her head with a sigh. "I must have been, like, smothering his body cells all these months while the poor things were starting to regrow for him."

His eyes scrutinized her in brief silence, and then he spoke. "Some of your injuries have not yet fully healed. Please take better care of yourself."

She couldn't help but raise her eyebrow at that. "I don't want to hear that from you of all people, Mister. Jumping into the fray to protect a woman's honor but not knowing the first thing when it comes to pub brawls."

"I could have beaten them all in a fair fight." He scowled upon remembering a patron from another table rushing at his blind spot and smashing a chair against his back.

The low blow sent him to the ground and would have left him at the mercy of the thugs, if not for the quick-thinking waitress. She grabbed a set of knives and threw it on the ground, concretely marking the boundary between him and the thugs. Then without warning, she dragged him with her out to the streets, where the group chased after her to continue the fight.

"And that's the keyword: _fair_." She let out a sigh. "Street fights are never fair." Though hurt, the woman efficiently handled the lopsided number of opponents while clearly holding back from harming them seriously. They were still customers, after all. "I mean, you wouldn't expect them to come after you one by one while lined up in an orderly queue, right?"

"You fought well, though."

The waitress didn't seem to expect a genuine-sounding compliment from him in response to her sarcasm. "O-Of course!" She had not been a sparring partner to a martial arts champion for nothing.

"For a woman."

She grabbed him by the collar in ire. "Want this woman to kill you?"

"Heh. It really is you, Tenten." His eyes softened, taking her by surprise yet again. "I'm glad."

"W-What do you mean?" Confused, she let go of him and stepped back, all the while aware of the sudden pounding in her chest. "And how did you know my name, by the way?"

He fixed his collar calmly. "Someone asked me to find you."

Her brown eyes widened. "Do I owe this person money? Does that person owe you money? Does that mean I now owe you money?" She clamped her hand over her mouth. "I know! You belong to the Yakuza!"

"Oh?" His mouth twitched. "I've been called a lot of interesting things before, but a Yakuza's a first."

"W-Well, it's your fault for wearing such a nice suit in the middle of nowhere!" The man easily stood out in the usual tourist crowd of Shimanto. But she knew that more than his tailored coat and tie, it was the man's towering presence and understated refinement learned solely by being born into wealth, that truly set him apart from the rest.

"Understood. I'll dress less conspicuously."

Tenten crossed her leg as she sat on the table. "So if you aren't hunting me down for money, then what are you seeking me out for?"

He closed his eyes, as if recalling a distant memory. "The person who wanted me to find you… she had a regret that she couldn't let go of, so I wanted to fulfill at least this much of her wish."

"Eh?" The man before her didn't seem to be lying, but his claims didn't add up. "I have no family, except two lovable buffoons who think green spandex suits are sane wardrobe choices. I have no ties, no friends, and no roots to speak of. I don't even have enemies, until this afternoon when I had to save your posh ass. So who in the world, then, would ask you to find me?"

He opened his eyes, and she couldn't help but note the deep, rueful expression in them as he spoke.

"My most precious friend."

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

For **Daniela** \- thank you very much for your messages on Facebook! Hopefully, you'll enjoy your favorite pair in this chapter, as much as I did browsing your gorgeous NejiTen drawings at DA (for anyone who's interested, you can find her work under her profile name, **rencova** )

* * *

"Here she comes! Quick, what do you think her cup size is, Rin? Is it bigger than mine?"

"I have no idea, Minister."

"Come now! I'm sure Obito's still a friggin' virgin who thinks touching boobs make them explode, but Kakashi must have at least taught you a thing or two about checking girls out!" Uzumaki Kushina held a pair of binoculars in her hand as she scouted her son's new friend from the safe distance of the building's upper floors.

"No, Minister. The topic of either exploding mammary organs or checking girls out has never been brought up in my conversations with those guys."

The secretary let out a helpless sigh. Normally, Minister Uzumaki Kushina of the Imperial Household Agency was a no-nonsense, A-type personality who was singularly focused on her ministerial responsibilities. However, when it comes to her son, Kushina would revert to her overbearing mother mode, which meant enduring silly little stunts like what they were doing now- stealthily observing Naruto and his mystery woman.

"It's so hard to tell because she's wearing every flat-chested Japanese woman's best friend!" added the red-hot habanero in frustration.

 _Well, Hyuuga Hinata certainly knows how to wear a kimono,_ thought Rin admiringly. Of course it was to be expected, as the woman had been reared as a heiress all her life. That expectation though, did not diminish the picturesque image Hinata made, as she moved in her kimono with the genteel grace of a true _yamato nadeshiko_ , something few could exude so naturally in contemporary times.

Kushina's head suddenly drew back, dropping the binoculars on her lap. "SHOOT, he spotted me! He oh-so-casually waved at me, that cocky, idiotic son of Minato!"

"Naruto's a high-ranking military officer, after all," she remarked wanly, getting up and dusting her knees. "They should be here in five minutes or so. Shall I prepare refreshments, Minister?"

"Please do. Thank you, Rin."

.

.

.

"Who are you waving at, Naruto-kun?"

Chuckling, Uzumaki Naruto put his hand down and turned to the nonplussed-looking Hyuuga Hinata standing next to him. "My mother."

At that, Hinata's face turned white as sheet, which he thought was a stunning feat, considering her snow-like complexion.

"Relax! She's super nice, believe me!" He lightly tugged at her hand and started to walk into the building. "I told her I had to meet a friend this morning no matter what, and her condition for letting me sneak away from the palace was to introduce this friend to her."

Her eyes widened in apprehension. "N-Naruto-kun, y-you shouldn't have done that! We could have met any other time. It was more important to stand with your family on such an important occasion!"

"That time..."

She blinked, startled by his abrupt shift to a somber tone.

"That time my mother told me that we have no choice but to tell the nation about our family, I felt I was going to lose an important part of myself." Naruto kept speaking, even with his back turned on her. "I was afraid that my lineage was going to overshadow who I was as a person, and people will forget who I am. Crazy, huh?"

 _Naruto-kun…_ She opened her mouth to protest, but he had continued speaking.

"Yet for some reason, I remembered a well-mannered lady who suddenly yelled at me in front of everybody and reminded me to call her by her first name. The same lady who proudly told me that her family name was a privilege, and not a burden."

Her cheeks turned hot. "A-Anou..."

"And I thought she's probably the best person to understand how I'm feeling," he continued to narrate. "So I had to see her. I knew it couldn't wait. I needed to hear what she thought of me... before everyone else tries to drown me with empty words and well-wishes."

 _So that's why he sounded so frantic back in the car._ A feeling of sympathy rushed in her as she started to understand the situation he was in right now. Unwittingly, she clasped his hand tighter, hoping against hope that it was enough to silently reassure him with things she had no courage to say at the moment.

His steps halted, and for a moment, she thought it was because he didn't like what she did. She tried to tug her hand free from his, but he maintained a vice grip-like held on her. It was only with the sound of the sliding doors that she realized that they had stopped in order to ride on the elevator.

Wordlessly, he led her to the empty car by hand before pressing the doors shut on the pad. She peered at the still-unlit floor panels, then back at the male.

"Which floor did you say we are going to again, Naruto-kun?" she prompted, careful to be discreet about his lapse.

"Leave it." He met her gaze warmly. "Just for a bit, let's talk. Okay, Ojou-sama?"

"A-As you wish." It had been awhile since she last heard him call her that. However, she couldn't help but notice how differently his pet name for her sounded this time, compared to the previous instances he addressed her as so. Today, it felt light and teasing, as if it was a private joke they shared.

"You know, on the first day we met, I was on my way to a marriage meeting," he began casually.

She gasped, fully aware of the blood that rushed to her face.

"I knew I was running a little late, so imagine my surprise when I found my _miai_ partner standing in front of me, dressed as if she was just out on a simple errand, looking for a dumplings store owner. And to top it all off, she doesn't even seem to recognize me."

 _H-He knew who I was all along!_ Her cheeks burned in mortification. And had Naruto not locked her hand down with his, she could have bolted out of the elevator as fast as her constricting kimono and wooden slippers would permit.

"It was the first time that someone skipped on meeting with me, and it's because this woman was frantically searching for her important family. At that time, I thought I finally met someone who knew what truly mattered in life." Naruto rubbed his upper lip, grinning. "When we separated that evening, I immediately told my mother's staff that I didn't want another _miai_. I figured I needed all the free time I had to help her and her cousin meet."

 _Ah, so that's why they refused to set up another omiai appointment back then!_

"So I was pretty disappointed when she brought up the _miai_ the next time we met," he confessed. "I figured someone must have already told her about me, and that this oddly interesting girl will be replaced by a boring bride candidate who measures people's worth by meaningless things like wealth and connections."

That explained the peculiar reaction he had that day. She cast her eyes on the floor, biting her lip in embarrassment.

"But I was wrong."

At the same time, she felt his gloved fingers lightly stroke her knuckles, as if easing her tension away with his touch. She looked up at him in surprise, and their eyes met.

And held.

"You're still you after all, Hinata," he murmured softly, his blue eyes smiling at her with tenderness that made her heart race. "The same person who skipped out on her matchmaking date so she could ensure that her cousin is safe and well. The same heiress who smiled kindly at everyone, even those she would be sacrificing her personal happiness for. The same woman who rejected her marriage prospect yet again, this time by promising not to entertain any more _miai_ in the future.

"No, it wasn't you at all who changed," he stated emphatically, drawing closer to her. "The one who changed was-"

Without warning, the elevator moved to life.

"Kyaaa!" The heiress nearly staggered, but his free hand immediately kept her balance in check, steadying her back. Hinata looked up at him gratefully, but he was already looking overhead where the upper building floors were.

"I guess Mom got impatient, huh?" His eyes returned to her scrutinizingly. "Good, you aren't pale anymore. But you kinda look a bit red. Let's see..." He leaned in to peer more closely at her face.

"I-I'm fine!" she cried, pushing him away in panic.

Not expecting her sudden burst of strength, the male tumbled to the floor, pulling the woman's still-clasped hand down along with him. His heightened presence of mind allowed him, however, to cushion her fall with his body.

"I got you!"

A cascade of plentiful raven hair rained down on his face, along with the flower pins that were neatly holding her hair back a while ago. His hand, now buried underneath the raven tresses at the back of her head, must have instinctively came up there to ensure she falls safely on top of him.

Underneath his lidded gaze, he saw her lovely face crunch up in worry, her lips mouthing off a stream of heartfelt apologies. She looked so frantic- so distraught- that he couldn't help but let out a crisp round of laughter. The heiress could only gape at him, unable to grasp what was happening.

In retrospect, that might have been a bit mean, but at that time, it just seemed like the most natural reaction at that moment to being helplessly straddled by a flush-faced, teary-eyed _yamato nadeshiko_.

"Na...Naruto-kun!" she finally cried in protest.

"Sorry, sorry." His body moved before his wits could recover. Gently, as if touching a frangible glass sculpture, his hand slid down to the base of her nape, and then made its way up to her cheek. "Man, that guy you met today was so lucky... to have you dress up and look so beautiful for him..."

His voice barely rose above a whisper, his azure eyes turning a shade darker. For what reason, she couldn't dare ask why.

 _PING!_

The elevator came to a stop. And before either of them could move, the doors slid open, revealing the stunned Kushina and Rin.

.

.

.

"How disgusting! He actually attacked an innocent maiden in the elevator! Who does he think he is, that billionaire guy from that crappy American novel that Kakashi reads aloud to me to piss me off?" Uchiha Obito snorted as he and the oujo-sama sat on the receiving area of the Minister's office.

"I-It was all an accident, Uchiha-san, really!" cried Hinata frantically. "Naruto-kun protected me from falling hard on the floor, so…"

"Please have some tea first, Hyuuga-san." Rin placed down a steaming cup on the glass table across her. "Minister Uzumaki and Colonel Uzumaki should be done anytime soon."

Hinata threw a worried glance at the drawn blinds of Uzumaki Kushina's office. Earlier, the woman kept her temper in check long enough to ask her secretary, Rin, to tend to her, and to ask Naruto to follow her into the office. It had been a good half hour since then, but the mother and son had not left the confines of the room yet.

"I didn't think he had it in him, though," mused Obito out loud, sounding almost impressed. "Maybe I should drop by the security office and request those tapes from the elevator cams-"

"Forget it," interrupted Rin. "I had the tapes confiscated and burned earlier."

"You already anticipated that?! When did you get to do that?!"

"While I was preparing another set of tea."

The driver sweatdropped. Count on Rin to demonstrate her usual brisk efficiency and foresight in even the most unusual of situations.

Rin crossed over to her own cubicle when she spotted the second phone on her desk blink red, which meant it was the ground floor receptionist paging guest information for her. "Nohara speaking."

"Nohara-san, you have a delivery from the nursery. It looks wonderful!"

The Minister's office was a magnet of all sorts of crazy packages from people within and outside of the country. While most were harmless pranks, some turn out to be dangerous, such as letter bombs. Therefore, their security personnel had devised a set of protocols in handling packages and deliveries. This include the use of code words such as "wonderful", which meant the package has been inspected by the personnel and confirmed as safe.

"Please have it delivered to this floor. I'll wait by the elevators." She excused herself quickly from the room and headed for the lifts, which were located at the other end of the hallway.

She had just arrived when the doors slid open. A whistling delivery man walked in, carrying a potted bonsai with a striking mess of trunks and roots that sprouted glossy, verdant leaves.

"One bonsai Banyan tree for Nohara Rin. Sign here, please." The male momentarily placed the plant pot on her hands so he could retrieve a folder from his messenger bag.

She eyed the plant, perplexed. "How much time do we have before these roots start strangling the tree?"

"The roots have started to spread, Miss, so I'll say less than a month."

Her fingers started trembling. The bonsai plant was a message from Hatake Kakashi, who had a network of reliable sources in Danzo's Root organization, owing to his previous membership in the private army.

That he sent a plant with Aerial roots was no coincidence- it meant the once-underground organization has now surfaced. She knew there was a reason for the group's arrogance, and that was Danzo's growing influence in the government.

Not everyone welcomed the Emperor's announcement that a blue-eyed, fair-haired foreigner was going to be the next-in-line for the Chrysanthemum Throne. Coupled with the ageing emperor, many people still felt insecure about the stability of the imperial royal family.

And Danzo was completely aware of this: he had taken advantage of the discord, and started to gather his supporters so he could push the emperor to appoint him as Prime Minister. All he needed was one huge scandal to completely erode the public's confidence in the royal family, and he could then proceed to pressuring the emperor to appoint him for the position so he could "save" them. Once he becomes the head of the cabinet, he would have the power to dismiss his last great hurdle to his military ambitions: Minister Uzumaki Kushina .

"Your signature, please," prompted the delivery person, snapping her out of her daze.

After placing her stamped signature, she was handed back the bonsai plant. But to her surprise, there was also a single long-stemmed white rose on top of the oval-shaped pot.

"This isn't mine-"

"A company promotion, Miss. A free rose for hardworking single maidens." The delivery man tipped his cap towards her, and that brief time was enough for her to see the mischievous twinkle in the now-familiar scratched eye. She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly motioned for her to keep quiet, placing a finger over his lips.

 _Why did you come here, stupid Kakashi?_ He could have easily sent a real delivery man in his stead, as she, Obito, and him agreed that it would be harder for Root to track them if they moved separately.

But before she could scold him, the delivery man disappeared in the elevators, leaving her alone with a bonsai plant and a stem of rose.

.

.

.

"... and SAVED!" Haruno Sakura double-checked the offline access to her selected location at the Maps app, and then pressed her mobile phone's screen lock.

"Alright then, let's go get Sasuke-kun back from that Orochimaru guy's lab!" Yamanaka Ino briskly led the way to the door, but she had barely crossed the room when Sai suddenly blocked her path. She tried to dodge him, but he effortlessly checked her movement again.

"What the- Sai! This is no time for your stupid antics!" she snapped, impatiently stomping her feet on the floor.

Her bodyguard responded with a honeyed smile. "Sensei, your shoelaces are undone. Allow me to fix them first. Pardon me." Without waiting for her answer, he fell on one knee and began to carefully pull on her boot laces.

Sakura looked back and forth repeatedly at the incensed mistress and her unruffled bodyguard, then gestured to the door. "I'll wait for you guys outside."

"S-Sure." When Ino heard the door shut close, she turned expectantly to the kneeling male. "So what is this all about?"

He did not lift his gaze from what he was doing. "Yamanaka-sensei, please reconsider going to Orochimaru's laboratory."

Her eyebrow rose in surprise. Over the course of weeks that she and her bodyguard had been together, Sai had *never* questioned her decisions, no matter how ill-conceived or faulty they were. He knew his role very well: he was there to dutifully make things the way she wanted them to be. Should there be hitches along the way, he was expected to handle them. In case of fallouts, he would step in to serve as her shield.

So why would he suddenly act this way now?

"Convince me," she replied tersely.

"Orochimaru is a person of interest tagged by the Interpol with a green notice." Sai turned his attention to her other shoe, shifting his weight on his other knee to adjust. "He is under intense international scrutiny for his groundbreaking research in illegal body modifications, which is speculated to be sought by Russia, China, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. And the only reason these countries couldn't act is because he is protected by a very influential politician here in Japan."

Ino didn't know which shocked her more- learning that the person who has the custody of Uchiha Sasuke was such a dangerously high-level criminal, or that her annoying bodyguard knew such fact. "Why do you know all these?"

"We… used to move in the same circles." Sai had finished tying her shoelaces, but he did not budge from his position at her feet. "I will retrieve Uchiha Sasuke for you and Haruno Sakura-san. Please stay here and wait for me."

"Just who are you, Sai?" she asked quietly.

If he was taken aback by the sudden shift of the conversation, he did not show it. "I am Yamanaka Ino-sensei's bodyguard and driver," he replied automatically, bowing his head. "That is the only identity that matters to me."

That was all she needed to hear. Her fists clenched as she made her decision.

"Not anymore." Ino successfully sidestepped him and headed for the door, not giving the bodyguard enough time to get back on his feet. "You're fired."

Outside, her pink-haired best friend was waiting for her by the street curb, engrossed with her mobile phone.

"Won't he sue for unlawful termination?" she asked when they were within each other's earshot.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop, Forehead Girl."

Sakura grinned. "It's Sasuke-kun's fault for forgetting to disconnect the nanny cameras."

 _Ah, so that's how she overheard._

The researcher got up and dusted herself off. "Why did you fire him for giving us a sensible warning?"

"I dislike people who question what I say," she replied simply.

"Right." Sakura gave her a knowing gaze. "Ever since, you've always been a cruelly kind girl, Yamanaka Ino."

She shrugged that off. "By the way, do you know how to drive? Do you think your parents can lend us one of their cars?"

"My parents have only one car, Ino-pig, like most other people in Japan." Sakura massaged her temple with her fingers. "And it's a simple family car. You might not be used to riding one."

"Oh, I can definitely adjust!" Ino paused. "It has standard-fare lamb wool's floor mat at the very least, right?"

"You stupid, rich person."

.

.

.

"Here."

Neji looked dumbfounded as Tenten plopped down beside him and handed him a drinking cup. "I've already had _sake_ , thanks."

She smiled saccharinely, subtly baring her fangs. "Now, now, dear Customer, don't be shy! You'll hurt our feelings if you refuse a drink."

"That's right!" Someone from another table chimed in merrily. "Here in Kochi, everybody drinks! Alcohol is our strongest _shukyo_!" It was a wordplay reference to how alcohol and religion are both pronounced as shukyo.

 _Well, everyone is friendly, at least._ Earlier, the bar owner had personally apologized to him for having his meal disturbed by the tourist hecklers. As an expression of gratitude, the owner offered him an emperor's meal set that consisted of samplers from nearly the entire menu.

"Oh, right. You're a Tokyo man. Shall I teach you how we drink in this prefecture then?" Tenten poured him a cupful of clear Japanese liquor, and he bowed politely to thank her for serving.

Admittedly, the _ginjo_ 's light fruity fragrance was pleasantly enticing; he finished the chilled rice wine in one swig.

"Very good," praised Tenten approvingly. "Now shake off the excess liquid from your _o-choko_ over this bowl..." She nodded as he pliantly followed her lead. "... then you hand it to me, so you can serve me a drink as well."

The woman effortlessly gulped down the rice wine he served as if it was nothing but tap water. Despite himself, Neji couldn't help but feel a bit impressed.

"You're smiling," remarked Tenten as she wiped the _sake_ receptacle dry and handed it back to him. "Does your friend drink like I do?"

He recalled the bench where he and the fortuneteller sat as they drank beer and swapped life stories one warm evening. "Yes."

"Then your friend will love Shimanto… and the whole Kochi prefecture." She poured him another drink. "That person should have come with you to see me."

"She had to go back home."

"Oh, was it a woman you like?" Tenten smiled teasingly after momentarily digesting what he said. "Didn't think you were the type to have crushes. So, what is she like?"

"You," he answered plainly.

A startled Tenten nearly dropped the bottle she was holding. "T-That's a godawful pick-up line!" she choked.

"What's a pick-up line?"

" _That_ is a pick-up line."

"I don't get it." He looked so genuinely stumped that she had no choice but to believe that the man before her was an exile from Mount Sanjo. He definitely fit the persona of someone who came from the cradle of the male-only _Shugendo_ sect of Buddhism.

"Tenteeeeeeen!"

A sobbing, bowl-haired duo suddenly sprinted towards their table. Alarmed, Neji prepared to kick over the table in order to shield his companion, but Tenten suddenly grabbed hold of his knee. Her message was clear: stay where you are.

"You did it again, my youthful Venus flytrap blooming in springtime!" The taller of the duo swept the woman into his embrace and spun her into a circle before depositing her back to her feet. "We heard the news from the farmers. Were those hecklers hurt? Did you total them, or can they still crawl to the cops and file a report against you?"

She gave him a wry smile. "Thanks for your concern, Gai-sensei. Really, I am touched-"

The other male grabbed her to his arms, smoothing his face against the side of her head like a lost puppy. "Then this means you wrecked another establishment, didn't you? Our poor, jobless Tenten…"

Her eyes rolled heavenwards "I did not wreck another place, okay? I made sure to drag them out first so as not to incur property damage like the last time."

"Good girl!" chorused both males.

The younger male then noticed the dark aura emanating from the long-haired male dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and expensive-looking trousers. "Oh, you were a serving a customer. Sorry for bothering you on the job, Tenten!"

"Ah, not really." She gestured to him. "Lee, Sensei, please meet… uh, what's your name again?"

"My name is Hyuuga Neji." He bowed before them courteously, holding out his business card. "I travelled here to meet Tenten in person."

Both males' eyes widened. "Does she owe-"

"I'm not a Yakuza."

Lee whistled admiringly. "He catches up fast. I like him already!" He cheerfully held out his hand. "I'm Rock Lee, and this beautiful green beast beside me is my master, Maito Gai."

"Pleased to meet you." He accepted the handshake and bowed again in greeting.

"Hyuuga-san," The older man sat down and faced him, suddenly looking stern. "I perfectly understand the reasons that a hot-blooded, virile young man like you will seek a lovely, young woman like our Tenten. After all, is this not the way of Mother Nature to ensure the great circle of life's continuity? To ensure that every honeybee finds a flower due to him, so as they may partake in the rich nectar of life-"

"Nectar of life?" echoed Neji, his brows furrowing.

"Gai-sensei, STOP. Please." The waitress' hand flew to her forehead in exasperation.

"Waaaaah, Tenten is ashamed of her foster father! Our innocent carnivorous flower has entered her rebellious phase!" A weeping Gai sought solace in the shoulders of the equally emotional Lee.

"Tenten, you hurt Gai-sensei's feelings!" admonished Lee disapprovingly.

"Well, he was kinda hurting my brains too, so-"

The thick-browed male pounded his chest with his fist. "Leave it to me, everyone. I shall employ Gai-sensei's most beautifully subtle interrogation techniques in order to make Hyuuga-san show his true colors!"

 _I have a bad feeling about this._ Tenten nervously peeked at Neji, who astoundingly maintained an even expression in the face of the men's inanity.

"Hyuuga-san…" Lee pointed directly at the pale-skinned man's face. "...did you come here to TAKE TENTEN AWAY FROM US AND MAKE HER BEAR YOUR BABIES?"

"IDIOT!" She furiously punched the back of his head.

Neji blinked. "I… didn't consider things that far ahead."

Tenten whirled around to scold the other male. "You didn't have to seriously answer him, Neji!" She took a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves before speaking again. "Listen, you two. Neji didn't come here to marry me-"

"How bold of this sexy Tokyo man to make you an unwed mother of his brood!" called out a kibitzer from another table.

"Guys, there's NO babymaking happening between me and Neji!"

"Awww, bummer!" chorused the rest of the patrons.

Tenten suddenly felt more tired than the time she had to render double shifts at the pub during Golden Week. "This guy came to see me simply because his friend told him to do so."

"Wow, really? Have we met that person before?" Lee looked intrigued.

Neji thought for a moment. "Not likely."

"Then how did your friend know about us?!"

"I didn't ask."

Tenten sighed in exasperation. "You're being purposefully, annoyingly vague, you know?"

"I am aware," he nodded. "But please know that person and I don't mean any harm. I'm just unsure how to properly explain the circumstances to you."

Oddly, that sounded good enough for her.

"So now that you've found Tenten, what do you plan to do?" pressed Lee.

Neji's response came swiftly, as if it was something that he had decided long ago. "I want to give her one thing that makes her happy, whatever it is."

Tenten's mouth dropped along with everyone else.

"So, like, a happiness genie?" asked the bar owner, who was listening to the conversation from the counter.

"A genie?"

"It's a magical being that grants wishes, Granny."

"I want a genie, too! Especially if he looks as nice as that Tokyo man!"

A dark-faced Tenten planted her hand on the long-maned man's right shoulder. "Oi, Neji, do you really mean what you said?"

He nodded. "I want you to live life with one less regret this time."

 _This time?_ Tenten vehemently shook her head and asked what she felt was a more pressing question. "Can I ask for a huge palace staffed only by hunky, well-toned men wearing nothing but perfume?"

To her surprise, his mouth curled up into what suspiciously looked like a smile. "Let me know when you have made up your mind. I'll make your happiness happen, whatever it is."

 _What a weird guy._ But soon enough, Tenten was grinning at him as well.

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.

.

Sakura slammed the car door shut and looked at the stark white building with blue-tinted glass panes. "Well, here we are."

Ino folded her sunglasses away and eyed the bespectacled figure walking leisurely towards them. "There's our welcoming committee." Earlier, she had phoned her father to hook them up with the lab for an impromptu visit, under the guise of possible research funding from her wealthy father.

"Do you want to take off while you still can?" whispered the researcher, her emerald eyes set on the approaching person. "You heard what your bodyguard said about Orochimaru."

"Yep. And that's exactly why I won't leave you alone with people like him." Ino flipped her blonde hair over her shoulders and straightened up so she could look taller.

Beside her, Sakura clenched her fists tightly. "Thanks for being with me, Ino-chan."

The bespectacled man finally halted his steps when he reached them. "Welcome to the Otogakure Research Institute, Yamanaka-sensei and Haruno-san." He smiled pleasantly at them, and then took out his hand from his pocket to offer a handshake. "I am Yakushi Kabuto, and I am the Principal Investigator of this facility."

"Thank you for having us at such a short notice." Sakura bowed politely towards the researcher, who was technically her _senpai_ in terms of position and tenure in the field.

"For the lab chief to have so much free time as to greet its visitors, I have to wonder about the quality of the researches done here," drawled Ino as she accepted his hand.

Kabuto's smile never wavered. "You are very important visitors to us, Yamanaka-sensei. Of course I will clear my calendar anytime for you. Please, follow me."

Instinctively, Ino grabbed Sakura's hand, just as the latter reached for hers. As they had always done back then, before doing something scary, stupid, or more excitingly, _both_.

As she walked towards the double doors, she had an uncanny feeling of icy fear forming within her. While she did her best act of bravado in front of the meeker Sakura, she knew she couldn't lie to herself, especially when Sai's words weighed heavily at the back of her mind.

The puppet master behind this sham of a facility was an international bogeyman. She was counting on the fact that the risks of its puppeteer being exposed to the public were far greater than silencing her and Sakura. The only daughter of one of the wealthiest philanthropists in the Asian region could not disappear in the lab, especially after she had taken the precaution of documenting hers and Sakura's presence.

 _We'll be fine._ She just needed to think of something that would distract her.

Immediately, Sai's awful jazz playlist came to her mind. The bizarre, swinging improvisations, coupled with Sai's soothing, smiling voice telling her to have as much pudding as she wanted because no matter what she weighed, she would always be the most beautiful mistress in his eyes...

A forlorn smile formed on her face. _Damn it, I do miss that skinship-obsessed idiot a bit._

But this was for the best. She could not risk bringing Sai anywhere near the premises where Orochimaru was- not if they knew each other. While she didn't fully understand her bodyguard's circumstances, she realized that he would be in grave danger if she dragged him to the lab with her and Sakura.

 _Courage, Ino. You are a Yamanaka, after all._ She resolutely held her head up and sauntered past the heavy double doors-and her last chance at escaping from this frightening lair.

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.

.

Hinata's head shot up when Naruto and Kushina finally emerged from the private office. Naruto's eyes quickly darted to her and offered her a reassuring wink. She nodded back at him in relief.

"Sorry for the long wait, Hinata-chan." The famous red hot-blooded habanero- someone she had only seen on television till today- smiled apologetically at her. She had frequently seen the minister at the peak of her infamous temper during televised proceedings where she flogged errant government officials publicly, but this was the first time she saw such a warm, motherly smile on the scarlet tigress' face.

"P-Please don't worry about it!" She bowed panickedly. "I am so sorry for my clumsiness that caused you to see such a disgraceful scene. N-Naruto-kun only wanted to help me, s-so, truly, I apologize-"

Kushina waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about a thing. Naruto explained everything that happened, to my satisfaction. Thank goodness I don't have to suffer the perpetual shame of turning in my own son to the police for misdemeanor, haha!"

Naruto pointedly coughed. "Mom, since you've met Hinata, maybe we should-"

Kushina locked her hold on Hinata's shoulder. "Do you like taking walks, Hinata-chan?"

She nodded, wide-eyed.

"Great, let's go!" The minister waved to her son as she dragged the kimono-clad woman with her. "This will take a while, so you could probably go have Teuchi and Ayame-san make you a good bowl of ramen." She was referring to the father-and-daughter tandem chefs they hired directly off the street after Naruto kept disappearing from his afternoon classes to eat there.

"But, Mom! Hinata is-"

The woman whirled around to face her son with burning coals for eyes. "If I hear so much as another squeak from you, young man, I'll show Hinata-chan all your Sexy no Jutsu cosplay photos from your school festivals!"

"That's savage, Kushina!" guffawed Obito, slapping his knee in mirth, as Naruto defeatedly plopped down the sofa.

The minister glanced at Rin, who, as always, was diligently handling the paperwork. Behind her swivel chair was a bonsai tree that she had not seen before. _It seems these three had started to move for you, Minato._

"Rin," called Kushina gently, knocking on the door to catch the busy secretary's attention. "Hinata-chan and I are just going to stroll in the private garden. Would you like to join us?"

"Another time, perhaps," replied the woman with a wan smile. "The deadlines are looming for these documents."

"You rarely leave to unwind," sighed Kushina. "No wonder he was so worried that he had to bring the garden inside for you." She teasingly gestured to the long-stemmed white rose that was now resting in its own watered vase.

Rin's cheeks turned warm. "M-Minister, don't misunderstand, please. He was just making fun of me, that's all."

"Of course." But to the secretary's chagrin, her boss' smile remained impish.

 _Are they talking about Obito-san?_ Hinata recalled the driver's conversation with Naruto. _I wonder…_

.

.

.

"Ah, how nostalgic!" As the breeze played with their hair, Kushina pointed to the corner where a number of cherry blossom trees stood grandly among the other flowering trees. The ground beneath it were strewn by fallen blossoms, all no less beautiful than those that still hung from the branches. "Hinata-chan, look! That's where I first met Minato, Naruto's dad."

Hinata felt a warm smile intuitively form on her lips. "What a beautiful place."

"Right?" said Kushina, excitedly turning to her. "I was around 7 or 8 then when it was decided that, as an orphan without bonds, I would be the best person to work in the imperial residence as a replacement for the head of the household, Uzumaki Mito." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Man, I cried and cried for days!"

 _So young!_ Hinata tried to imagine the woman before her as a tinier seven-year-old girl weeping on the lap of an older relative. "You must have been so lonely."

The minister shrugged. "I was. But more than the loneliness, I guess it was despair that truly bothered me. You see, for centuries, our clan has traditionally served the emperor's family, and we were expected to bring their family secrets to our graves. Because of that, we could not lead a normal life outside the residence."

The Hyuuga heiress' eyes shook in pity. "That's…."

"That's how strict the imperial household agency is," shrugged the red-haired woman. "I tried and tried to escape, but I just end up getting caught again and again. Got spanked a lot for it, too. But my goal never changed- I wanted to escape this dead-end palace walls and live outside. Then one fateful day..."

.

.

.

" _Kushina, where are you?! Kushinaaaaa!"_

 _The red-haired girl smirked._ Today… is the day I'm going to succeed at escaping this prison!

 _She had managed to steal a man's uniform from the laundry room the other day, which she had tailored to her size, thanks to the sewing skills she was forced to learn as a palace help. Whether she'd admit it or not, her feminine training had been of some help to her._

No one will think much of a hat-wearing boy jumping through branches, hah! _She pulled down the brim of her headwear again, and then inspected the distance of the nearest roof from her spot. It was lower than the branch where she stood, but it was several feet farther than what she was comfortable jumping at._

" _Don't do it."_

 _She nearly fell over in surprise, if not for her nails digging on the tree bark. Furiously, she bent down to find the source of the voice that nearly killed her._

 _There was no one on the ground, save for a fair-haired boy who looked even more diminutive from the height where she stood. He wore a nondescript white hoodie, which was definitely not the uniform of palace employees here. Probably one of the help's kids? Couldn't be a tourist- they're off-limits at this place._

" _You don't have enough momentum to cover the horizontal distance," he added. "Your angle is off, as well."_

 _Her hackles rose. "Well, I'll never know till I try, right?" Then without warning, she leapt towards the roof. She was airborne for a few precious seconds, but then gravity started to pull her down._

Shoot, I really am not going to make it! _Her mind rung alarm bells when she saw how badly she would miss the edge of the roof shingles. Closing her eyes, she tucked her body in and prepared to roll out the impact._

" _Ooof!"_

 _Someone leapt from her side and grabbed her, sending both of them rolling sideways to the softer patch of grass. His arms covered her head and back, and it seemed it was him who absorbed most of the impact, judging by how little the pain she felt when they finally stopped spinning._

" _A-Are you alright?!" she cried, getting up so she could inspect him. "Where does it hurt?"_

" _I-I'm fine..."_

 _Her violet eyes bored through his incredulously. "How can you be fine?!"_ Please don't tell me he broke his spine! _"Hey!"_

" _I calculated it," he croaked, laughing softly. "From a height of 10 meters, you would hit the ground at about 31mph, or at least 10 times more force than normal. But if I manage to disperse the excess force and avoid absorbing your whole body's force by catching you sideways, then it shouldn't endanger me as much."_

" _Y-You had time to figure all that out?!"_

 _He grinned in response. "Barely just. I didn't think you'd really jump. Girls are pretty gutsy."_

 _Her eyes grew big in surprise as her hands patted her head frantically to find the cap. It wasn't there anymore._ Oh no, my cover's blown!

 _The boy looked on quietly as he watched her panic. "I'm not sure why you'd risk your life for a few minutes of cheap thrill, but you have to take better care of yourself."_

" _Y-You don't understand!" she snapped, slamming her fist down next to the boy's head in frustration. "I want to get out of this cage… I want to…" She was mortified to feel hot tears streak down her cheeks, so she angrily wiped them away as quickly as she could._

" _I got it." He struggled to sit up so he could pat her head, and only then did she notice that he wasn't as short as she thought he was. The couple of inches of height he had over her made him look a bit more mature, but any edge he had was lost when his face softened into a warm smile._

 _Soon after, a couple of panic-stricken maids rushed towards them and took him away, addressing him as 'young master'. They initially tried to scold her for the boy's state, but the latter reassured the women that she saved him when he fell from a tree. Automatically, she was left alone. And to her bewilderment, she was not spanked at all the whole day, despite being caught wearing a male's uniform._

 _The next morning, she received her new assignment- she was to become one of the three personal attendants of the palace' young master, who just arrived from overseas._

 _Kushina crumpled the notice letter she received and headed straight for the garden. She did not bother to show up for meals or for her formal introduction to her young liege, and instead sat on the treetop, deep in thought, as the afternoon passed._

" _You're up there again."_

 _She immediately recognized the voice from below, but did not care to spare him a glance. "I'm not escaping today, don't worry," she replied in an anemic tone. "What's the use? Wherever I try to run, I'll just end up serving another person anyway. I'll never be free."_

 _Her ears picked up the sound of scraping soles against the bark, so she finally turned to look in curiosity._

 _It was the young master, who climbed up to sit on another branch a rung below hers. He leaned back against the trunk and enjoyed the scenic view. "So that's why I always see you in this place, huh? Everything sure looks different when you're up here."_

" _Right?" she asked excitedly, forgetting her initial glum. "The trees and flowers just extend for miles and miles, but you know that at some place they end, and another scenery begins!" This was the first time that she got to share the sight with someone else, and she was elated that he appreciated its beauty as well. "I wonder how the boundary looks like. I wonder how different the places look inside and outside the walls."_

" _If you really want to know…" He offered his hand up towards her. "...then please accept your new assignment, Kushina."_

N-No honorary suffix? These foreigners... _She turned away so she could hide her heated cheeks. "You can have any servant you want- boys your age."_

" _But I don't want a servant."_

 _She turned to him, eyes narrowed doubtingly at him._

 _He, on the other hand, looked immensely relieved just to finally catch her full attention. "There isn't a way to ask the palace to grant you your freedom because of traditions they can't overlook on my behalf. So I did the only other thing I could do- to ask them to give you to me as a companion." A cheerful smile spread on his face. "If you accept, I would be very grateful. I would need someone around my age to help me explore the city, the school, the market…"_

 _Her heart pounded in excitement as she started to understand his words._

" _You will be a student just like me," he continued brightly. "Because it'll only arouse suspicions if I walk around the public with security. This way, they won't think-"_

 _He was stopped in mid-sentence when Kushina joyfully hugged the now-blushing boy. "I accept! I definitely, happily accept, Young Master!" she cried._

" _K-Kushina, part of the job is to not call me that, or you'll blow my cover," he reminded her, sweatdropping._

 _She let go of him, nodding seriously. "Of course! How should I call you?"_

" _My name is Minato. Namikaze Minato."_

.

.

.

"Back then, I thought Minato was the lucky one," Kushina narrated as Hinata stood in rapt attention. "At school, he really excelled in academics and in athletics. But he never participated in the student council or the varsity team, or any of the clubs, because his condition for being permitted to leave the palace was to never stand out." She tucked a scarlet strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't know that though, till before our high school graduation."

.

.

.

" _Minato, you haven't handed in your career guidance form," complained 17-year-old Uzumaki Kushina as she plopped down beside her young master. "I mean, I know that because you're Mr. Can-Do-It-All, it's tough to choose just one career, but you can just go roll a dice or something and get it over with."_

 _They couldn't sit on the treetops anymore like they used to years ago, so they just hung out at the nearby grassy riverside before heading home._

" _I'm sorry." Namikaze Minato turned to her, a sheepish smile on his handsome face. "What did you put on yours?"_

" _To be Japan's first female prime minister, of course!" she answered proudly. It was something she had long considered since being permitted to finally leave the imperial residence. While it was true that she would only end up serving someone higher than her in the future, she decided that she wanted to serve the best master in her eyes- the nation of Japan and its people._

" _That's a worthwhile dream to pursue." He looked pleased to hear of her plans, which thrilled her as well. Lately, she had started cherishing Minato's approvals more than she would care to admit. Not that she would ever tell him, of course._

 _She took out a coin from her school uniform's pocket and showed it to him. "Okay, let's just decide what to put on your form by coin tossing. Heads, you take Humanities. Tails, you take STEM."_

 _To her surprise, he sadly guided her hand back to the ground. "It's alright. It's been decided anyway."_

" _Really? So which one did you pick?"_

 _He looked away. "I will be schooled in the palace briefly, in preparation for studying abroad."_

 _Her mouth dropped open. "O-Overseas? But… but there are so many good universities here and…" She thought they were going together, and she had even shyly planned to invite him to go to the same university as hers in case he hasn't decided yet. But overseas? Even as his personal attendant for many years, she would never dream of being able to accompany him all the way outside the country._

" _It was the Imperial Household Agency's decision. It's a bit of a late start, but it has been decided that Shinto priesthood duties, imperial education, and a university degree from a reputable school overseas are needed… for the heir to the throne."_

 _She felt as if the ground beneath her was rocked. Minato? Her good-natured, silly, kind-hearted young master was a crown prince?_

 _It now dawned on her why he was asked to stay as low profile as he could. Despite having a last name that the emperor and the royal family did not possess, the semblance between them was getting stronger over the years. She knew it was only a matter of time before people put two and two together. Plus, the fact that the emperor did not have heirs..._

" _I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I wanted to…" He halted when he saw her violet eyes glistening with tears. "Please don't cry."_

" _I am NOT! I was just… taken by surprise… by this foreign object in my eyes…" Embarrassed, she roughly wiped her eyes with her arm, but Minato suddenly pulled her to his chest, embracing her tightly._

" _Your Highness… " She tried to untangle herself from his arms. "I shouldn't be-"_

" _Stay here," he murmured, tightening his embrace around her. "That's a direct order from the heir to the throne."_

" _Your Highness!"_

" _And my second order: call me by my name, as you have always done."_

" _Minato, you tyrant!" She punched his shoulder, annoyed. "When I become prime minister, I will change the constitution to include bathroom cleaning duties for the crown prince!"_

 _He let out a ringing peal of laughter, but he gradually turned more serious as he stroked her hair with much fondness. "I'll be gone for a little while, but I'll come back for you."_

" _As if I'm going to wait for you!" she retorted._

 _He chuckled. "You're right. But I'll take my chances. A guy can dream, even if it's marrying Japan's first female prime minister."_

 _Her head snapped up in shock. "D-Don't joke about stuff like that!"_

" _I've never been more serious in my life." He grinned. "Don't you know? The reason I saved that gutsy little girl with the beautiful crimson hair many years ago is because I intend to ask her to be my wife someday."_

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.

"And then four years later, he came back to marry me." Kushina's smiling face was a lovely image of marital bliss even if it had been decades since then. "He was the only child, so the emperor and the empress' wishes for him to start a family prevailed over the Imperial Household Agency. We got married in secret, and had Naruto." She turned to the raven-haired heiress. "Hope my little reminiscing didn't bore you to tears."

"O-Oh no, not at all, Your Highness! T-Thank you… for sharing your story with me," answered Hinata with a bow, sincerity and gratitude ringing out in her voice.

Kushina nodded with a smile. "Good. Because everytime I try to share that story with Naruto or Obito, they always manage to find some excuse to be elsewhere."

Just then, the minister's mobile phone rang. Excusing herself for a second, she answered the phone with a smile. "Yep. Yep. She's beautiful and kind, just as everyone said she was. Of course I didn't scare her away! Geez! So, what do you want for dinner when you return tomorrow?"

After a minute more, Kushina ended the call and faced her again. "Minato sends his regards. He's traveling, but he, too, would like to meet you soon."

"I am grateful to the kindness of His Highness," she replied, bowing once more.

"You bet!" The minister gave her a friendly hug. "I'm glad you came to visit, Hinata-chan. I wanted to meet the woman who Naruto escaped his cage for, and I'm so happy he did it for someone like you."

"I count myself fortunate to be a friend of Naruto-kun, too, Your Highness," she replied shyly.

Kushina held her hand, now sounding more earnest this time. "From this point on, the world will be scrutinizing our family even more closely. And truth to be told, I was very worried about it. I tried to tell Naruto to practice discretion when meeting you and his friends, but he swore to me he'd protect all of you."

 _Naruto-kun…_

"I know he'll do his best, but I also wanted to warn you personally." Kushina's mouth set to a tight, grim line. "I had no family then, but you, Hinata-chan, bear the honor of a centuries-old clan that supports the livelihood of hundreds of ordinary people. Our enemies will be ruthless, and they can turn their eyes on you. As early as now, my family would like to ask for your forgiveness."

"T-There's nothing to forgive, Your Highness!"

Kushina looked at her for a moment with a hint of sadness in her eyes, and then she smiled.. "So you say. Shall we go back to Naruto and the others?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	7. Chapter 7

"... and this here is our anechoic chamber," Kabuto Yakushi led Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino to another section of the Otogakure Research Institute. "Otherwise known as the quietest place in all of Japan." He shut the large steel doors behind him, and in an instant, something in the room felt changed.

Compared to the previous areas they toured which had workstations and equipment and buzzing scientists in plain clothes, the empty chamber felt like a set right out of an extraterrestrial movie. The entire space was roughly the size of a 6-tatami Japanese room. But had Ino been told that the space was actually infinite, she would have no problem believing it, no thanks to the disorienting, spiked gray wedges protruding from the walls and beneath the spring floor where the three of them stood.

Yet for all its illusion of infinity, the room brought a sensation she imagined was not unlike being trapped in a coffin. This triggered a queasy, sickening coil to form and tighten at the pit of her stomach. Was it just her being hyper-sensitive, though? Furtively, she glanced at Sakura and saw an identical awful expression on her friend's face.

Kabuto smiled amusedly at them. "So you're starting to experience this room's true power, eh?"

"True power?" echoed Sakura, looking scared and curious at the same time. As expected of a researcher's inversely proportional relationship between her sense of wonder and her self-preservation instinct.

"Yes. The power of dead silence to suffocate our senses." He gestured grandly, almost reverently, towards the echoless space. "All low frequency sounds get trapped between the foam wedges and bounce around in vain until they're lost to these walls. Meanwhile, high frequency sounds are simply absorbed by the wall. This is truly the acoustic field's very own black hole."

Ino could feel cold sweats breaking out of her, but as a Yamanaka, her spiritual ancestors would haunt her till kingdom come if she dared slip even the slightest hint of crumbling composure. "Fascinating stuff, Kabuto-sensei. Shall we now step out for a bit of fresh air? Sakura-chan's turning faintly green, and I can't begin to describe the horrendous mess her upchuck is capable of once she starts."

In response, the rose-haired woman stared daggers at her. She owed the blonde big-time for helping her infiltrate the facility. But an upchuck? Really?!

"Of course! Let's make our way out so we can avoid, uh, accidents with our very expensive equipment." Kabuto guided them out of the bizarre echoless labyrinth and back to the comfortingly ambient noise-filled research office. Two assistants were stationed there to receive them.

"Welcome back!" loudly greeted a lab intern who introduced himself as Yoroi Akado, 'single and ready to mingle', he made sure to emphasize. Yoroi seemed to fear the sun's UV rays so much that he sported his glasses even inside the building. Nonetheless, Ino thought he was a decent human being for presenting them with glasses of water to recover from the accursed chamber.

The quieter of the two, Misumi Tsurugi— who Kabuto had to practically force into introducing himself— merely observed them behind his round glasses. Ino felt herself shiver at the brief time their eyes accidentally met. There was something unsettling about him, like how he could barely suppress the contempt he has for these frivolous female guests he had to look after today.

Kabuto, meanwhile, continued to speak with glowing pride about their facility's groundbreaking work. "Our biggest work is on acoustic vector sensors, or AVS. AVS helps in detection and localization of sound sources."

"So kinda like a more accurate Marco Polo game, huh?" chimed Sakura in.

The lab head nodded excitedly. "Yes, you can think of it that way." He pushed the bridge of his glasses back up with his finger, and then resumed talking. "We work with the JSDF for innovating their weaponry combat tactics, particularly in sniper gun detection and classification of firearms. However, funding has been unfortunately inconsistent and insufficient." The man smiled hopefully at her. "Our facility will truly appreciate your father's support in this regard, Yamanaka-sensei. What do you think?"

"It's amazing! I know you've all truly worked hard, and I'll be sure to talk to Daddy about this," she replied with a well-practiced, noncommittal smile. It was an act she had done for many hopeful sponsorship aspirants many, many times before, and she had perfected the farce to a T.

"We look forward to hearing from your father soon then!" He looked absolutely over the moon at the prospect of funds that she knew had virtually nil chance of coming. Yamanaka Inoichi was a staunch romantic idealist, and she knew he would completely refuse to support military-backed projects like the AVS.

"By the way, may we ask where the ladies' room is? Sakura-chan says she's desperate for some freshening up." Ignoring her best friend's dark glare, she proceeded to give the men a doe-eyed, arresting smile— one she had flashed numerous times in the past to subjugate men into doing things her way.

The lab chief beamed. "Of course! Yoroi-kun will take you there." He motioned to to his assistants. "Unfortunately, I have another meeting to attend, so I have to leave soon. If you need anything else, please let them know."

Misumi scowled. "Is _he_ threatening us again?"

Amidst the guests' curious looks, Kabuto fixed his underling a severe, silencing look. The bespectacled lab assistant immediately complied and ceased talking.

Yoroi broke the uncomfortable silence, opening the door. "Alright, ladies, follow me. I'll show you where the restroom is."

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 _For_ _ **Jasmine**_ _\- thanks for your generous words! And_ _ **Amasian**_ _\- I always read and re-read your delightfully thorough reviews for encouragement. I'm so glad my efforts to play up the stronger aspects of the women in the series is appreciated! :)_

* * *

"Shannaro!" Sakura slammed her fist on the counter, eyes shaking. "That hellish chamber's our last stop, but we haven't seen any sign of Sa— oops!" She clamped her hands over her mouth in panic.

"Don't worry. The last thing guys would want to do is to hang around ladies' rooms because every man possesses this incredible conceit that somehow, the girls inside were gossiping about him," advised Ino dryly as she carefully reapplied her blush-on.

"If you say so." Sakura thoughtfully stroke her chin with a free hand. "Anyway, from the entryway right up to the anechoic chamber, I saw cameras following us everywhere. It's unnerving, even for someone who's used to nanny cameras like me."

"Then relish our time here at the restroom," drawled the blonde, working on her eyelashes next. "Our last frontier in a world of ubiquitous voyeurism," she boomed, mimicking the movie trailer guy.

"No, I mean, how can we sneak off on our own to find Sasuke-kun? Kabuto-sensei will be immediately notified if we try anything funny!" Her best friend, class topnotcher since forever, looked so genuinely stumped that Ino had to giggle.

"Leave it to me. I've finished making my preparations." She returned her makeup kit in her bag, and then gave her golden hair one last tousle.

"Preparations?"

"Yup! Now be a dear and call our dear Yoroi-san over, then stand guard outside." Ino sat on the counter and elegantly crossed one shapely leg over the other. "I need around two minutes to, uh, negotiate."

Sakura's brows furrowed. "Please don't try anything funny."

Ino merely smiled saccharinely at her nag. "And one more thing, let's swap phones. Remove the pin lock."

"And why are we swapping phones?!"

"Silly girl. I promise not to look at your gallery of mutant fungi nudes, or whatever creatures mad scientists keep in their lair."

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Misumi looked up from the computer screen when he heard a couple of knocks. It was Yoroi, who seemed a tad more flustered than usual. "What?" he spat, raring to return to the multitude of news articles open on his browser.

"Yamanaka-sensei's friend wants to walk around the lab one more time, so I'm accompanying her," informed Yoroi. "Can I leave Yamanaka-sensei with you here?"

The spiky-haired male sighed and nudged his glasses up with a finger. "Whatever." His fellow assistant possessed a distinguishing lack of anything aesthetically pleasing, so he knew the dolt intended to maximize the rare presence of young, pretty guests left to his care.

"Great! See you later!" The shameless man waved at him as the yellow-haired guest let herself in and settled primly on the other side of the room. For a bit, his eyes eyes followed her every move. He grunted in disdain when she ended up fiddling on her smartphone, like all brainless little rich girls were wont to do.

 _I can't wait until we finish our AVS probe and sell it to the highest-bidding country. Then we don't need to lower ourselves into dealing with these insects._ Misumi's teeth gritted as he recalled overhearing the shady minister's threats to close down the laboratory unless they provide him with something useful to his personal army.

Ino, on the other hand, finished sending a series of messages. She clasped Sakura's phone tightly in the palm of her hand as she looked out at the window somberly. _Now, Forehead Girl, make sure to find your partner… and find him fast._

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"Our lab is pretty big, and it's so easy to get lost here," said Yoroi shyly as he and Sakura strolled leisurely down the hallways.

"Uh-huh." Sakura's emerald eyes swept either sides of the large transparent window panels that separate the production areas from the hallway.

"S-So you know, I think it's a good idea for us to… h-hold hands… so you don't… get…lost..." the man in late-twenties stammered, eyeing the woman's free hand that swung beside her hips.

"Uh-huh." _A room I've missed. A secret door leading to a mystery basement. A false wall. Whatever it is, I have to find it so I can get to Sasuke-kun!_

Earlier, Ino had tried to bribe the man with her stocks from her company in exchange for intel on a dark-haired, handsome researcher that could have lodged with them recently. The man said he was too low in the hierarchy to know those sort of things, but that he would be happy to serve as their escort so they could move around the CCTV-protected areas without raising alarm. In exchange, he wanted Ino to be his girlfriend.

The heiress gently declined, saying rich girls like her had always been betrothed since birth (which Sakura dismissed as rubbish). Instead, she promised to wholeheartedly support him in courting her best friend, Haruno Sakura, who was a researcher (just like him) and had never experienced a romantic relationship before (again, just like him). The deal was hurriedly sealed before she, who was standing guard outside the restroom, could raise a fair protest.

 _That evil spoiled little brat, making me her bait every time!_ Sakura raised a clenched fist to her face in ire, but was shocked to see her fingers laced with the blushing man's own.

 _W-When did he…?_ Her lips quivered dangerously as sirens started going off in her mind. No one had ever dared touch her before, or even try to get this close to her. Uchiha Sasuke was always around to chase off anyone who did, knowing how uncomfortable she was about skinship with anyone other than her miniscule circle of friends.

"You don't like it?" asked Yoroi, sounding hurt but looking determined not to let go of her hand anyway.

"Of course she doesn't! Anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature can see that!" snapped someone from behind.

A grateful Sakura turned happily to her rescuer, but her smile didn't last long.

Her knight turned out to be no other than Sasuke's new lab partner and her least favorite person in the world right now, Karin. Sakura's emerald eyes burned in ire. _Of all the rotten luck..._

Without warning, Karin dropped a karate chop between the pair's held hands, successfully causing them to separate. Then just as abruptly, she grabbed Sakura's other hand and dragged her to the opposite direction.

"H-Hey! Where are you bringing my g-g-g-girlfriend?!" sputtered the man.

The scarlet head did not even bother throwing the pathetic man a glance over her shoulder. "If you can't even pronounce that word without stuttering like a fool, then you're 20 years too early to have one, cherry boy."

Sakura did not need to turn around either to know the crushing impact it had made on the virginal maiden's heart of poor Yoroi.

For the next few minutes, neither of them talked. But when the rose-haired woman realized that Karin had dragged her to an area of the lab that she hadn't previously been in, she couldn't help but speak. "Uh…"

"Don't talk to me, you half-witted, vacuous, cerebrally disappointing dunderhead who couldn't properly appreciate Sasuke's kind consideration to save your very unappealing ass," spoke the bespectacled woman in a dry, rapidfire monotone.

Sakura's cheeks flushed in annoyance. "You're dragging me off to who-knows-where, and you want me to keep my mouth shut?!"

"I think that's a pretty reasonable expectation to have, in light of your shoujo manga heroine-level of stupidity." Karin finally whirled to face her. "Why do you have to come here? Sasuke moved heaven and earth to make sure you don't follow him here. He thought that so long as you're outside this lab, you'll be under his brother's protection. But you had to go and ruin his plans anyway."

"Because I am his partner, and he is mine!" snapped Sakura, tugging free from the woman's grip. "If he doesn't appreciate his plans being ruined, maybe next time, he should try asking me first! What's wrong in wanting to protect him like he wants to protect me?"

Her eyebrow shot up when she heard a _tsk_ sound from Karin. Then the woman let out a sigh. "Fine. Come in before I puke over your juvenile mush." She knelt down and knocked on the floor, and a couple of seconds later, the floor tile moved to reveal a staircase leading to the basement.

Sakura tensed as she nervously peered into the darkness. It didn't seem like a place that could be reached by cellular phone signals.

"What are you waiting for? I thought you wanted to see your partner?" asked Karin warily.

R-Right." She gulped inwardly, and then started to make her way down the flight of stairs. As Karin became occupied in sliding the door close, Sakura nimbly took out the sim card from Ino's phone and pocketed it, hoping for the best.

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Ino's eyes widened when she received a notification from her anti-theft app that her sim had been removed from her phone. Quickly, she located Itachi's number and forwarded the last critical location details relayed by her phone before it was turned off.

As someone who was always in the danger of being abducted, Yamanaka Ino's phone had been especially designed by her security team to become as useful as possible once it goes off the grid. It was also the reason she chose to swap her phone with Sakura— being the more impulsive one, she knew Sakura needed the protection more than she would.

Not a minute later, she received a simple 'ok'. But she knew that with the message coming from Sakura's number, Itachi's 'ok' meant he was assembling the Special Assault Team's finest, along with air and naval support from the JSDF. She wouldn't be too surprised if he had rallied for assistance from the country's international allies as well.

She chuckled inwardly at the hyperbolic scenario she conjured, but felt a pang of envy at the same time. Haruno Sakura was loved— so utterly loved to this extent, even by people outside her family.

 _What I would give to experience a love like that!_

Though she had declared again and again that the love of her father was all she needed, she knew that once her father disappears, there would be no one left in this world who was capable of truly loving her.

She'd have Sakura, probably, thanks to the unspoken truce they had since recently meeting as adults. But Sakura would also likely, unwittingly, hurt her at the same time. Her childhood friend was the embodiment of her biggest secret wish: to be loved back by the people she loved, without the preconditions of wealth, beauty, or perfection.

In the end, she'd probably just do something stupid to push her away, like she did many Valentine's Days ago.

Ino sighed, shaking her head firmly. _Stop it, Yamanaka Ino. This isn't about you. Just be grateful you have people to ask help from. Focus on the most important thing: Forehead Girl's safety._

"Oi."

Ino was startled briefly, but just as quickly, she put on a pleasant smile for the eyeglasses-wearing researcher on the other end of the room.

Except that he was now right in front of her, looking down darkly at her.

"Your expression earlier… it's not something you make when you play stupid games on your phone."

 _This creep! Was he observing me all this time?!_ She then remembered what Sakura said about the CCTV cameras littered everywhere. And on Misumi's screen was…

… a real-time recording of her from different camera angles.

She let out a gasp when without warning, he grabbed the phone away from her hands. Adrenaline rushed through her as she tried to get it back, but his hand quickly arrested both of her wrists without so much as breaking a sweat. He smirked triumphantly as he slipped the phone into the pocket of his pants.

He then placed a finger on her chin, sending shivers down her spine. She failed to hide this reaction from him quickly enough, and she knew right there that she had just handed over a huge chunk of psychological advantage to him.

"I wasn't really interested in you at first," the male researcher began, the opaque eyeglasses glinting from his superior angle. "But I happened to catch a glimpse of your suffering, teary-eyed face while looking at the phone. Won't you show it to me again?"

He suddenly yanked her chin up, forcing her to meet his intense gaze. She couldn't suppress a pained wince, which in turn made him grin more broadly. "Yes, that's right," he murmured in delight. "This look… it's been so long since Kabuto-sensei permitted me to play."

"Unhand me, mister," she hissed. "I am a Yamanaka. If my father hears about this outrageous treatment you're giving me, not only will he drop his sponsorship plans, but he'll also burn down your little lab to the ground."

Her resistance seemed to have only excited him more. "Bullcrap. You never planned to fund Otogakure." A low chuckle emanated from the man. "I googled your father's investments, and he was adamant about funding only researches that were directly related to your line of business."

"I-I could have convinced him otherwise," she quickly fibbed, "but you're definitely not winning any brownie points from me now—"

"HAH! Do you take me for a fool?" He leaned closer towards her, the tips of their noses almost touching. "Let me guess. You acted as a decoy so your friend can freely explore the lab and find whatever she came here for."

She stubbornly turned away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Is that so? Then feel free to stop me if you have heard of this childish scheme before." His lens failed to conceal the malicious glee in his eyes. "Playing the martyr so you can feel a semblance of being wanted and needed? Putting yourself in danger so you can validate your value in this world?"

 _Stop it..._

The man let out a deranged laugh when he saw he was hitting all the right places in her clouded heart. "For all your show of smug defiance, you're really such a needy, insecure wretch." His grip shifted forcefully from her chin to her jaw, his squeeze leaving a couple of discolored marks on her cheeks. Determined not to add to his sadistic delight, she forcibly bit her lower lip in order to suppress her pained cry.

"My, my, Yamanaka-sensei!" The man's voice trembled in excitement. "You truly are a spoiled princess. How easily your rich girl's skin bruises." His breathing started to get more ragged. "I must... mark you more."

 _Not good!_ Ino started squirming even harder to free herself from his vice-like grip, letting out screams for help.

"Don't do that," groaned the bespectacled man. "They might hear us, and we haven't even begun our playtime yet. Oh, I know!" Whistling happily, he dragged her out of her seat. "Let's go somewhere no one can hear us!"

 _Where is he taking me— oh, shoot! The anechoic chamber!_ Ino's eyes widened. If she gets trapped there, then it was game over for her. She might as well be trapped in a different dimension.

Desperately, she tried to deliberately drag her feet and weigh herself down, but the prospect of a playmate had granted the crazed man some sort of superhuman strength. In the end, the struggle only managed to tire _her_ out.

The minute they stepped into the chamber, she nearly staggered over. The sudden difference of sound levels between the office and the chamber was so disparate that it made something naturally intuitive' as balance transform into a herculean labor.

Misumi shoved her roughly into the middle of the room where an iron rack stood, supporting the bulky speakers suspended overhead. The man nimbly fastened her wrists against one pillar with leftover rope he found on the floor.

 _Ouch!_ The rope was coiled so tightly that the friction burned cruelly against her skin. And the more she struggled against it, the more punishing the rope becomes.

Misumi stepped back to look at his handiwork, a pleased expression on his face. "Could have made the knots more snug, but it isn't too bad for a rush job."

He touched the top of her hair to give her a pat, and she instantly jerked back in disgust. This made him click his tongue in disapproval. "Now, now, princess, I advise you not to flounder around too much, or you'd end up toppling those speakers over." His hand pointed upwards.

 _Oh, shoot!_ Her eyes widened in fear when she spotted the large speakers above her. Each one looked like it easily weighed thirty pounds. No matter how hard-headed her father claimed her to be, there was *no* way her skull could withstand the impact of something like that— let alone hitting her from that height!

"I intend to personally do the honor of breaking your lovely bones, so please stay put." Misami smiled at her genially.

She raised her face, defiant. "My fracture-free bones are lovely as they are now, and I am quite attached to them that way."

"We'll see." He paused. "By the way, when you visited earlier, Kabuto-sensei regrettably did not have the chance to let you experience our most popular session here. I'll see to it immediately." Then with an exaggerated bow, he walked out of the chamber and shut the doors close.

Once again, the world around her changed drastically. The ambient noises disappeared like a ghost, haunting her as she strained to hear in vain. Then after a minute or two, she tensed up when she started to hear something she knew she shouldn't be hearing this clearly.

That fall and rise tempo that matched her heaving chest. It was her breathing. Unease formed within her, despite reminding herself that the foreign sound as actually part of what her body did everyday, but took for granted.

All of a sudden, the speaker above her sounded, nearly making her jump out of her skin. "Ready, princess?"

"M-Misumi!" Strangely, even the creep's voice was a welcome sound amidst the alien-like quiet that surrounded her.

But her happiness was short-lived.

Suddenly, all the lights turned off, plunging her in complete, still darkness. She reflexively let out a shriek of fear and buried her head against the iron contraption, but even her scream sounded unnatural. It died a thin cry, and despite the closed off space, no echo came back. It was as if she was floating in the middle of the vast outer space, instead of a small, enclosed chamber grounded on Earth.

Every inch of her body was screaming for her to escape, but she couldn't see anything in front of her. Wait, was her eyes even open or not? She knew there was a door in the corner, but was it on her left or right? And right now, was _she_ facing left or right?

As confusion started to set in more and more, Misumi's voice suddenly boomed overhead. "How are you liking it so far?"

"I-It?"

"Why, our sensory deprivation experience, of course!" He let out a chuckle. "There's a famous story about a violinist abroad who once entered a chamber like this. Just a few seconds in the room, and he was already banging on the door, begging to be let out." He let out a pleased sigh, perhaps relishing the scenario in his mind. And then he spoke again. "I wonder, how long would our own brave little princess fare?"

Ino's heart pounded even more loudly upon realizing what he intended to do. "M-Misumi, don't do this! Turn on the lights right now!"

"Hmm, it seems someone's paging for me downstairs." She heard him clicking his tongue, muttering darkly about pesky nuisances. "When I come back, princess, make sure to tell me all the, uh, _fun_ things you're starting to see." Then the speaker turned off, and she was once again left alone in the darkness.

"M-Misumi?" The air she breathed was starting to feel stale. Her rationale insisted there was no reason for that to suddenly happen, but fear had an uncanny way of smothering one's left brain's pleas to slow down and think things through. "Misumi! MISUMI!"

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"S-Sasuke-kun!" Immense relief flooded Sakura as she scampered towards the bed where Sasuke lay, fast asleep. Connected to the different parts of his naked torso were wires that in turn were hooked up to various machines that she had never seen before.

Her emerald eyes shook as she placed her hand on top of Sasuke's hand. "I'm so glad to see you! You really scared me, you blockhead." Sans the contraptions, her partner looked like he was just sneaking in a nap in between their tedious lab work.

Suddenly, the device beeped. Karin curiously leaned over the machine and read off the multi-colored numbers and lines from the screen. "Slight bump up noticed in the patient's heart rhythm and blood pressure readings," she reported loudly. A minute later, her voice dropped into a mutter. "And he has been so stable since this morning…"

"He reacted to her presence."

Sakura whirled around and saw a slender young male with long, raven hair. There was something deceptively feminine about his prominent full lips, but upon closer inspection, she noted his movements suggested a higher center of gravity than hers, not to mention a longer torso and narrower hips.

"What do you mean, Shiore?" asked the red-haired researcher, fixing the bridge of her glasses. "We've tried several stimuli, but he never reacted to those. Wasn't that how we knew he must be traversing the web at the moment?"

"What web?" Sakura couldn't help but interrupt, not liking the vaguely ominous reference in the conversation. "What did you do to Sasuke-kun?!"

"We didn't do anything that he didn't ask for." Shiore's dark eyes were dull and empty, but his mouth was twisted into an ugly smile. "He wanted to see the web with his own eyes, so we opened the pathway for him."

Sakura let out a gasp. Without thinking, she latched onto him and grabbed his shirt. "Did you trigger a serotonin syndrome in him?! Is this why he's unconscious?"

The man disgustedly slapped her hand away. "Mind where your filthy hands are touching."

"Answer me!" she insisted, pulling on his arm even harder this time.

"What an annoying hubbub. This is precisely why I dislike women in the lab." He placed his hand on the sleeping Sasuke's neck, and for a moment, she thought Shiore's bored dark eyes transformed into vertical, reptile-like predatory slits.

He turned the patient's head sideways, revealing a pair of fang-like marks on Sasuke's nape.

"A-A snake bite?!"

"Close enough." Shiore released his hold on Sasuke. "Karin, I'll be in my work area. Show that bimbo out of the lab before she disturbs Sasuke-kun again." With that, he turned his back on them and disappeared into the back of the room.

"H-Hey, Shiore! We're not yet done talking—" Sakura halted when the redhead held an arm out sternly.

"Don't cross him," hissed the woman loud enough for only her to hear. "If you value your life, shut your trap."

Sakura shivered when she recalled the chilling serpent-like gaze on her. "B-But Sasuke-kun has been bitten—"

"Those were needle marks. We injected him twice with an experimental dose of snake venom," clarified Karin to allay her misgivings. "We estimate that this was the amount needed to make the entheogen more potent, providing Sasuke-kun with an expanded consciousness similar to the state our brains experience when deprived of serotonin."

 _So that's why he told Ino-chan that he didn't need the drugs anymore. He found an alternative chemical to use!_ Sakura clenched her fists.

"Anyway," said Karin, getting up. "You've seen Sasuke already, so can you quietly head home and wait there—"

"Hey…" The researcher spoke in a murmur, and for a moment, Karin was unsure who she was speaking to.

Then a pair of verdant orbs turned to her beseechingly. "What you gave Sasuke-kun... could you give the same thing to me, too?"

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.

The changes in her body was inescapable to Ino's ears. The palpitations and the ringing in her ears were growing louder, harder. And disturbingly, she could almost hear the blood coursing madly all over her veins. Her breath came in shorter, shallower intervals, causing her head to throb strongly.

Her ears started to ring, but she couldn't make the sound go away. She wanted to try and cover both ears, but something was holding her wrists back. Lightly, she tugged away, but a pair of hands clasped her wrists, forcing her to remain shackled to his grip.

"You're here again. How troublesome."

 _That voice…_

To her shock, Nara Shikamaru was kneeling beside her, clasping her hands. He wore his vintage exasperated look, like he was scolding a sixteen-year-old girl rather than talking to a full-grown woman.

"Go home, you're wasting your time. I told you, Chouji won't go out with you unless you somehow prove that you're genetically a bag of chips." He rose from the floor, twitching from the burning gazes of everyone in the boys' dorm.

She puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "But Daddy says I might end up marrying Akimichi Chouji someday, so I might as well get to know him better!"

"I'm guessing your father offered you an allowance raise or something as a reward," he hypothesized wryly.

"A slight augment!"

"Pft."

A thought popped up within her out of the blue. "Your father's friends with Daddy as well, right? I wonder why Daddy did not mention you as husband candidate."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I don't have the luxury of time for something as silly as that."

"Funny you mention that," she countered, rolling her eyes. "You know what's sillier? Skipping classes to stay on the roof and look at rolling clouds."

He shrugged. "One man's poison is another man's cure." With that, he held out a hand to her. "Get up. You can wait for Chouji in my room."

For some reason, the suggestion made her heart hammer. "Those boys won't tell—"

"If the RA finds you here, it'll be troublesome." He withdrew his hand and turned around, busying himself with unlocking the door.

"Troublesome? For you?" She doubted that Shika was the kind of guy who gets intimidated by class sanctions. His inordinate mental quotient afforded him a pedestal that not many would cross.

"No. For * _you*_ , even more so." He glanced at her over his shoulder. "You are an unmarried girl frequenting the house of hormonal teenage boys. Think about that for a second." Without waiting for her, he entered the room he shared with Chouji.

"Well then." Wiping the silly happy grin off her face, she got up on her and followed Shikamaru into the room…

… only to find him lying prone on the floor, coughing out rust-colored phlegm like there was no tomorrow.

She frantically rushed to his side and tried to touch him, but his hands caught her wrist again.

"Now do you understand? Your father will never pick me, not when I don't have much time left to devote to his beloved daughter." He smiled at her, wearing only traces of blood on his mouth.

"T-Then...then I'll stop the hands of time for you!"

The dorm room suddenly disappeared, giving way to the crowded DFW International Airport in Texas, over 10,000 kilometers away from home. Prior to this, she had never even left the prefecture for a school field trip.

 _There's no going back, though._ Upon learning that some universities in the United States were offering an accelerated three-year-curriculum for medicine students, she cajoled her father tirelessly to let her study overseas.

Japan's own medical schools strictly require six years of study, but she didn't know how long she could 'stop the time', so to speak. So she took the gamble and studied abroad.

Like him, she didn't have the luxury of time to feel lonely and homesick, or get worn out by the challenging curriculum. Her eyes were set only on the mocking ticking clock of the man she fell in love with. No time for what-ifs. No time for doubts. No time for regrets.

When she returned to Japan with her diploma, she was forlornly informed by her father that she couldn't take the medical licensure exam in the country unless she completed the remaining three years of the requisite program.

But she didn't care. She was not interested to take in any other patient anyway, except for Nara Shikamaru. Her father looked even more saddened.

" _I talked to Shikaku. That boy… only a miracle can save him now."_

No, she refused to believe that.

She hurried through the hospital hallways until she found his room. When she opened the door, she found him seated serenely on his bed. His things had been packed. He was ready to head home and pass his remaining weeks at home with his loved ones.

"Don't say that!" She slammed her hands on the edge of his bed, eyes quivering in anger. "I promised I'll stop the hands of time— and I'm here now. I'll definitely make it happen, so you CANNOT give up, Shika!"

The man sighed. "You… be reasonable. You can't have things happen the way you like it just by wishing for it hard enough."

"I KNOW THAT!"

Her furious snap made even the unflappable Shikamaru do a double take.

"I know that," she repeated, more softly this time. "But in the end, I still can't do it." She stepped towards him determinedly. "No matter what, I can't just give you up… not to anything… not to anyone. Not without a fight. Because people don't easily give up on the one they love." Then without warning, she leaned over to kiss the wide-eyed man.

But his hands stopped her just in time before their lips could touch.

" _Sensei,_ " he spoke calmly, "I want you to meet my wife, Temari." He gestured for her to turn to the door, where a grim-faced woman stood, watching them wordlessly. "Dear, come in and meet Yamanaka-sensei. She graduated in America early this year and dropped by to visit."

She felt like ice-cold water had been thrown on her face. _His wife?_ She felt resentment burn in her chest. _All this time I was working so hard to stop the time, he was actually the one moving the needle forward!_

"How nice of you to visit _my_ husband." In the end, the woman he called Temari opted for the more gracious route. "Now, if you excuse us, we must head home—"

"Give him to me."

The couple froze.

"Give Shikamaru to me," she repeated, more firmly this time. "If he can't value his own life, then let me do it for him."

"Are you mad?!" hissed the wife.

"You've tried everything that Japan's technology has to offer. However, I was trained in America, so there may be something I know differently from the rest of the staff here." Her blue eyes shook in despair. "Please."

Suddenly, everyone in the scene was swallowed by the inky darkness. Once again, Ino was alone.

Beads of sweat trickled down her face as she slumped wearily against the iron rack she was shackled to, not minding anymore the danger of the speakers hanging perilously overhead.

 _Why… why did I remember them again?_ Her heart was still pounding heavily, and she took a series of shaky deep breaths to calm herself down. _And it's all so vivid it hurts._

"It should hurt." Temari's voice rung behind her. She did not dare turn around, though. She was deathly afraid to see even more memories from her past. "You lying thief," mercilessly continued the voice. "You stole the last few weeks we could have shared with my husband. You monster."

The last word reverberated painfully in her ears. "I-I wanted to save him!" she cried.

"LIES! You wanted to be with him! When we didn't agree to your request, your father intervened and immediately transferred him out to a hospital we didn't know. His people even tried to pay me with hush money, as if my husband was some chattel you bought and paid for."

 _Please don't come any closer. Please…_ Ino's whole body quaked in fear and guilt as she heard the footsteps from behind draw nearer. Temari's voice continued its unsparing assault.

"Did you enjoy being his only lifeline? Did you enjoy the feeling of being needed by him?"

"No," she whispered softly, finally admitting defeatedly. "Every single day, all he asked for was you and his son. He kept asking when he could see you again. He didn't see me… at all."

"Serves you right, you selfish little spoiled brat." A pair of hands undid her shackles, and automatically, her arms fell to her sides, feeling heavy as lead.

"Forgive me, Temari," she whispered, tears springing from her eyes. "Forgive me, Shika."

The voice gradually faded away as light started to enter her field of vision. She was hearing something else, too—- something unbelievably out of place.

Godawful jittery, hard-hitting rhythms of sax, trumpets, and drums jazz ensemble.

After what seemed like an eternity of hearing and seeing things she had vowed to forget, the sound of something so reassuringly familiar and trivially annoying felt like a balm to her broken soul.

"God, Sai, your playlist sucks," she murmured, her eyes still shut in exhaustion.

She felt something tug in her left ear, allowing her to now hear the bodyguard's immensely relieved whisper. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, Sensei." She felt a pair of arms scoop her up even closer, as if he had no intention of letting go. "I was trying to wake you up earlier, but you wouldn't respond to me, so I thought I'd bring your senses back gradually by playing something you'd rise from your grave for to diss."

Despite his lame attempt at making her laugh, she thought her impeccably imperturbable bodyguard sounded rather strangely shaken. And wrapped so tightly in his arms, she also couldn't help but note how his heartbeat was racing even faster than hers.

"Thank god Sensei is safe," he murmured, though it seemed at that moment, he was talking to himself. "Thank god..."

 _Was he really this worried? So odd._ Was her father's pay really that excellent to merit such concern for her? _Come to think of it, the only other person who says things like this is Daddy._

No matter. Whatever his reason was, she was glad that he was here. There was one more person out there who would follow her to the ends of the earth, after all.

As loathsome jazz music played on her right ear, she smilingly clasped Sai closer to her in gratitude. "And thank you, Sai, for coming to save me."

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"Inject you with the entheogen?"

Sakura nodded. She couldn't ease her mind off the 'web' they say Sasuke was in at the moment. _If I would be able to meet him there through the snake potion, then I could talk him into going back with me!_

The bespectacled woman's face instantly hardened. "Not a chance." She immediately cut the rose-haired woman's flushed protests. "If you ingest the wrong amount, you'll fall into a coma and die within 6 hours. No one really wants that kind of bother in their hands."

"So you gave Sasuke-kun the same drug fully knowing that?!" snapped Sakura incredulously.

Karin crossed her arms in front of her chest and glanced at the figure in slumber. "He won't die. Shiore's taking good care of him. He's too valuable a specimen to him. You, on the other hand, he will be happy to kick out into the curb and leave you out under the sun to die."

She barely flinched at hearing how particularly disliked she was by the strange man. Years of isolation in high school afforded her with the emotional detachment she needed to get by in life. "Why is Sasuke-kun a specimen? What does Shiore hope to get from him?"

The woman laughed mockingly. "So much for being his partner! How can you know so little about him?"

Sakura's cheeks flushed once more. She knew Sasuke and Itachi-niisan, and how he secretly worshipped the ground his older brother walks on. She also knew Sasuke liked omusubi with okaka and tomatoes, and he didn't like sweets. However, he had memorized all the popular confectioneries across the prefecture by heart because he would always bring home snacks for her whenever he was out on his conferences.

Till today, she thought knowing these things were enough. Apparently, it was not. These people knew a Sasuke-kun that was different from the Sasuke-kun of her childhood.

Wearing a smug look, Karin continued, "Surely you've heard of how their family line's among the longest-living in Japan?"

She nodded. Aside from Sasuke and Itachi's parents that died in a car accident, everyone else in their family is alive with a good dozens of years ahead to enjoy.

"That's what Shiore is after." The woman nudged her glasses up with her finger. "Immortality. And where to better start than a family that has always led long, boring lives?" She gestured to the sleeping male. "He and Uchiha Itachi are the family's finest members, but of course, the older brother is untouchable. So Shiore's not about to lose his hold on an Uchiha who voluntarily went to the lions' den."

Sakura's brows knitted thoughtfully for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "I know! I've got an idea!" Before Karin could react, she dashed for the back of the room where she saw Shiore previously disappear in. "Shiore! Let's talk, I have a proposal for you! Shiore!"

"Sakura!" she heard Karin call out from behind in fear.

"I know you're in there, Shiore. Don't make me call you by your _true_ name!"

At that, the male appeared, looking more than a little cross. "Hmm. It seems I should have given your pathetic brain a bit of credit. What do you have in mind?"

Sakura thrust a finger at his chest. "Hire me as your temporary lead researcher and let me stay with Sasuke-kun. In exchange, we'll leave you with all the data we'll collect during his web walk."

He let out a derisive laugh. "I have no need for the data. My research field is far more important than your whimsical thought experiments."

 _Just another person who doesn't respect quantum physics, it seems._ Sakura let out a sigh. "You are aware of the dissertation Sasuke-kun and I are working on, aren't you, Shiore?" Behind her, she sensed Karin's cautious presence.

"Everett's web." The man clicked his tongue. "The concept of many-worlds. Preposterous! Hiding behind fail-safe constraints like being immeasurable, or defying need for proof by saying how two universes couldn't communicate."

"If you don't believe the latter, then why are you helping out Sasuke-kun?" she asked, bewildered.

Shiore let out a pained sigh. "Must everything be spoonfed to you, little girl? I'm only helping him so he and his brother will owe me a favor."

"Then let me repay that favor!" Sakura's eyes blazed with intensity. "Did you hear what Hugh Everett said about immortality?"

That caught the man's attention. "Go on."

"Everett firmly believed that his many-worlds theory _guaranteed_ him immortality," answered Sakura, her gaze unwavering. 'He argued that his consciousness is bound at each branching to follow whatever path does not lead to death."

She gestured to his laboratory. "What you're working so hard on now may be all in vain. Our master bio clock— our telomeres— are finite. We may be able to aspire for longevity in this world by ridding of diseases or slowing down our body's molecular breakdown. But in a linear finite timeline where all things decay and die, you cannot achieve immortality.

"But imagine passing over your consciousness to the next world, where things are a bit different but your niche is irrefutably still there. Imagine being able to do it again and again," she continued, pleased to see that he was taking an earnest listen of her impromptu presentation. "Beating one universe' constraints of entropy by simply leaving for another universe."

She held out a hand towards him. "Work with us, Shiroe. Trust me and Sasuke-kun! We're building a communication bridge that could link the two closest universes, but we can do so much more if it isn't just us working on this."

"Put your hand down, little girl."

Sakura's face turned crestfallen. For a minute there, she thought she had built the right rapport with the man.

"I don't like working with other people," he said matter-of-factly. "But if you can keep your mouth shut, I'll let you stay here until Itachi-kun picks you up."

 _Itachi-niisan?_ Hope rose in her heart at the thought of Sasuke's reliable older brother who seemed to wield power to do anything he wanted.

"Now let me give you this last warning: do not seek me out anymore. I know places where bodies can never ever be found."

 _Without a doubt_ , mused Sakura as she watched him retreat into the darkness. _After all, you are not Orochimaru for nothing._

Meanwhile, the man was met by a chuckle from the other side of his quarters.

"I told you, she's an interesting one, Orochimaru-sama." Yakushi Kabuto was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "No wonder Itachi and Sasuke are fiercely protective of her."

"Your mellowness towards women is appalling."

The lab chief smiled. "Mother will scold me otherwise."

He remembered the gall of the girl to negotiate an alliance with him. He hated the complete absence of malice in those green round eyes. There were only sincerity and genuine scientific excitement— two things he had to let go of as years passed and his ultimate ambition of immortality remained beyond his reach.

"That naivety of hers is thoroughly disgusting," he repeated, sinking back on his seat.

"Yes, yes." Kabuto gestured to the stacks of folder on the work table. "Anyway, I've analyzed the data you sent last night. You're such a sadist, Orochimaru-sama! You know that acoustics is my only field of interest."

"You got the job done anyway."

"Of course." The ashen-haired man shrugged casually. "I owe a huge debt to the man whose body modification research saved my mother and protected her from Root." He then headed for the door. "I'm off. I have several more calls with potential sponsors lined up."

When Orochimaru heard the door close, he started poring over the data. But at the back of his mind, he had made a mental note to look into quantum suicide and immortality during his free time.

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Ino finally decided to open her eyes. Gently untangling herself from her bodyguard's arms, she asked, "How long was I in there?"

"Fifteen minutes."

She gaped at him. Had it really only been that long? She felt she had been there all day! _The chamber must have really warped my sense of time._

"I was fifteen minutes too late." Sai sounded rueful and angry at himself, judging from how tightly his fists clenched in a ball. "It must have been hard for you, Sensei." He would never forget the image of the shaken Yamanaka Ino when he found her, crumpled and trembling while tied up in the middle of the dark, echoless room.

She smiled comfortingly. "No, thank you for coming for me, Sai. It's more than what any fired employee would do for a former boss."

"Ah, about that." Sai coiled back his earbuds around his phone and slid it back to his jacket. "After you and Haruno Sakura-san left, I actually consulted your father regarding the terms of my employment, particularly if there's a clause about begging for my job back."

"Y-You did?" No one had ever done that for her before, so hearing it from him was both embarrassing and heartening. "W-What did Daddy say?"

He cocked his head sideways. "Let's just say, he had choice words for my depressing incompetence in my role. He reminded me that my primary function as your bodyguard is to guard your body. So here I am, atoning for my lapse of judgment."

"I... " She licked her lips nervously. "I fired you because I didn't want you running into trouble with Orochimaru et al. You seemed to have some sort of history with him."

The bodyguard chuckled. "Sensei, you make it sound like I dated him or something." He got up, and then held out a hand towards her. "Are you able to stand and walk?"

"Yeah." Her legs had fallen asleep, but that was something she could easily shake off. She was ready and raring to leave this damned prison. "How did you get past security, by the way?" she asked as they exited the anechoic chamber.

"Trade secret," quipped her bodyguard with a smile. He then drew his gun and pointed it to the right, where the receiving office was.

"Please keep your dog on his leash, Yamanaka-sensei," snarled Tsurugi Misumi, pushing his now-crooked eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's terribly impolite to point a gun at one's host, you know."

Ino stared coldly at him. "Daddy once said that all conventions fly out of the window when one party does something unacceptable, like, I dunno, _attempting bloody murder on the other person_?"

An earsplitting bang resounded, followed by an ugly howl of pain from the bespectacled man as he clutched his now bleeding leg.

"Sai!" Ino came up beside him, grabbing his shoulder in alarm.

"What was that for?!" snapped the male researcher.

He relented enough to pull his finger back from the trigger. "Personal grudge," he said simply, recalling Ino's hurt wrists and bruised cheeks.

Sai spoke lightheartedly, but she saw that his eyes possessed a steely glint akin to a cruel predator. Despite herself, Ino felt goosebumps rise in her skin. This was not her masochistic, jazz-playing, cat videos-watching Sai. The man that was standing before her was the Sai that her father specifically hired to protect her. Her bodyguard.

"Well then, shall I dispose of this trash for you, Sensei?" he asked casually, as if he was just offering to draw the living room curtains open for her.

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped. "No one's getting disposed today, got that?" Then with a calmer voice, she continued, "Find me a medicine kit. We need to control his bleeding." She approached the shot man and groped his pockets till she found what she was looking for. Fishing it up, she then casually tossed him Sakura's mobile phone. "While you're at it, call 119."

He appeared to hesitate for a bit, but her bodyguard eventually gave her nod of acknowledgment and went into action. For now, his loyalty seemed to have won over whatever primal bloodlusting instinct he possessed moments ago.

"Hmp." Despite the injuries he sustained from the gunshot, Misumi still, incredibly, managed to throw her a smirk. "Whatever happened to all your talk about conventions flying out of the window the moment I threatened your life?"

"Quiet!" She reproached him without hesitation, as her physician mentality took over everything else. "Save your energy for staying awake." She methodically removed his leather shoes, followed by his blood-drenched socks. Mustering her strength, she carefully elevated his lower limb to assess for signs of fractured bones or spinal injury. Relieved to find none, she propped his leg fully up against her shoulder and began to loosen his clothing.

"Funny," remarked Misumi feebly as he watched the doctor in action. "Usually, having women undress me should spark some form of arousal in me. But for some reason, I'm getting a bit cold."

 _Looks like he's going into shock._ "Don't let it hurt your fragile manly ego. It's perfectly expected of anyone to feel a little cold by now. But you're going to be okay." She maintained a positive, professionally reassuring tone as she rolled up his trousers and located the gunshot wound. No use stirring his fears about the graver possibilities of leg gunshot wounds, such as the bullet severing tendons or major groups of muscles that could render him immobile, or even developing a fatal infection.

Using the facial tissues that she was able to fish from her makeup kit, she proceeded to apply direct pressure over the injury. It didn't even take a full minute for the thin white fabric to turn carmine. Fortunately, Sai returned to her side at that point, holding a white pouch with a prominent red cross on it.

She instructed him where to apply both the direct and indirect pressure as she busied herself in applying bandages over the wound. To her relief,the bleeding seemed to have slowed to a halt after the fourth layer.

"Find me a blanket or something similar," she directed, noting the sound of her patient's teeth chattering. Sai wordlessly retrieved an oversized lab coat from the cabinet, which she wrapped around the now equally quiet Misumi.

Wanting to keep her patient consciously engaged, Ino spoke, "Itachi-san's men will be here soon to pick us up as well."

"Uchiha Itachi?" exclaimed both men in unison. The legal eagle was practically a legend across people from either sides of the law, owing to his prodigious talent as a public prosecutor and his rumored ties to shadowy organizations, which he utilizes as information networks.

"Yep." Ino held up Sakura's phone, which she got back from her bodyguard. "Just got the heads-up that his team has finally gotten the search warrant for this facility— all under the radar of Otogakure's pals over at the National Diet."

The lab assistant looked reluctantly impressed. "A-Ah, I see. It seems the hullabaloo over the imperial bastard had allowed something like this to slip through the cracks." _Figures that power-hungry old man will prioritize his political career over anything else,_ he thought bitterly, guessing the ambitious Danzo Shimura's full attention was now cast on manipulating the emperor and the National Diet.

"So in essence, you and Sakura-san could have stayed home and waited for Itachi to act." The bodyguard spoke with the barest hint of disapproval, which Ino generously decided to ignore.

"Not really." She turned to him, smiling teasingly. "You don't understand women's hearts at all, do you, Sai?"

She was quietly overjoyed to see the familiar gentleness return to her bodyguard's face. His eyes were now softer and warmer, and she clandestinely wished they would ever remain this way.

"Indeed, I don't, Sensei," he answered with a smile. "After all, the only heart I truly wish to understand is yours.

An embarrassed Ino was mercifully saved from the situation when the first responders rushed in and headed for them.

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 _SASUKE-KUN AND I ARE SAFE. JOINING THE RESEARCH TEMPORARILY. WE'LL BE USING HIS OTHER LAB. PLEASE THANK ITACHI-SAN FOR GUARANTEEING OUR SAFETY. WE LEFT HIM SOME GOODIES!_

"Is this really alright?" asked Ino with a sigh as she looked at the text message for the nth time.

"If Itachi-san is okay with it, then we shouldn't have any qualms either." Sai looked completely concern-free as he maneuvered the car out of the parking lot. Thanks to her Yamanaka family connections, the shooting issue was played down as an unfortunate accident.

Kabuto, who was fed the same accident alibi when he returned later that day, refused to have her pay for Misumi's hospitalization. He did assure her though that Misumi would be dealt with properly in private. That was enough for her.

"Besides, Itachi-san looked pleased with the gifts Sakura-chan left behind." Sai was referring to the astounding amount of paper trails and machinery tying Danzo Shimura and Root to notorious criminal scientist Orochimaru that his investigating team was able to find during the search. He and other high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Justice were preparing their probe at the moment.

"It's a shame about Kabuto-sensei's lab, though." Ino looked genuinely sympathetic. "I mean, I don't really care for that creepy anechoic chamber, but he had really hardworking, smart people working there. I wish Daddy could find a way to keep it from getting shuttered."

"You were too soft on that bastard."

"D-Daddy?"

Sai sighed. "Sensei, I was clearly referring to that piece of trash that hurt you."

"Oh." She offered a shrug. "You've gotten angry on my account. No need to punish that guy again, especially since he may have mental issues."

Her bodyguard gripped the steering wheel harder. "I'm sorry for not being there sooner."

She rolled her eyes. "Still beating yourself up for that?"

"What you went through… is one of the CIA's favorite forms of white torture," he replied, his quiet tone failing to hide his rage. "Even hardened criminals despise those sensory deprivation tanks."

 _There he goes again, speaking about things people normally wouldn't know._ She wondered whether now was an opportune time to ask about his career prior to babysitting her. But recalling her wish to always see Sai smiling, she changed her plans.

 _Sai himself will tell me about it, once he's ready._

"Yamanaka-sensei?" He gave her the briefest of glances before turning his attention back to the road. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"How much is Daddy paying you to be this obstinately loyal to me?"

His reply came in swift and rehearsed. "Enough to cover my needs."

"Needs? Like what?" she pressed further.

He let out a low, husky laugh. "Sensei, please don't so casually ask a man about his needs."

She groaned, blushing profusely. "I-I just wanted to give you a raise for what you did today! But I'm taking it back! You pervert! Sicko! Poison to Japan's youth!"

He had the audacity to smirk at her. "Ah, forgive me for misunderstanding the adorable, roundabout way you probe for my life's deepest, most intimate secrets."

 _I seriously doubt one's salary range could really count as a deep, intimate secret._ "I said forget it!" she snapped, embracing herself in annoyance.

"Then how about this? Instead of a raise, may I just ask the Sensei to go out drinking with me one of these evenings?" he proposed.

"Drinking?" What an odd request. But she liked the idea. She missed her university-days binges overseas, and Sai was the only person she trusted enough to drink uninhibitedly with.

"Alright, you're on!"

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

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	8. Chapter 8

Hyuuga Neji slid open the door leading to the dining area, and found Rock Lee and Maito Gai seated around the dining table, bowls of steaming curried rice in front of them.

"Oh, you're up!" The younger bowl-haired male was the first one to greet him, his grin spanning his entire face. "A beautiful morning to you, Neji! Isn't it wonderful that yesterday's tomorrow is now's today?"

He felt a vein pop on his head when he heard his first name uttered so casually. "I…" His voice trailed off when he was met by the blinding twinkle of the male's bright smile. "... good morning," he finished lamely, deciding it was impolite for a freeloading guest like him to take offense about it.

"Now don't be a stranger! Join us for breakfast, my friend!" invited Gai, his smile determined not to lose against his student's in terms of sheen. "Nothing sets fire to one's soul in the morning the way our curry of life does!"

"Thank you very much." He took his seat on the table across Lee, where a bowl and a pair of chopsticks had been seemingly placed in particular for him. Wordlessly, his eyes scanned the rest of the room.

"Tenten has already left earlier this morning," informed the older male, a knowing look on his face.

A quick glance at his wristwatch showed Tenten would have departed even before the sun was up. "Does the pub open this early?"

Gai smilingly waved his hand. "No, no. She left for her _other_ work."

"She has _another_ job?" Neji's forehead creased in concern. Tenten's ten-hour shift at the pub alone seemed exhausting enough, if he were to be asked.

"I'm worried, though," continued the bowl-haired male, leaving his question hanging in the air. "Lately, she's being asked to handle something bigger and longer than she normally does. I mean, can she even properly hold it with just one hand?"

He froze in the act of reaching for his chopsticks.

Gai's expression was the polar opposite of his student's. "You worry too much, my dear doubting disciple. Our Tenten will get used to it eventually. It'll get more fun, too! Once you get to hold one of those, you'll NEVER forget how _good_ it feels!"

"Maybe you're right, Gai-sensei. Perhaps I'm just worrying too much— Neji, where are you going? Why are you putting on your shoes all of a sudden? Oi, Neji!"

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 _For_ _ **twinquies**_ _. Thank you SO much for including this story in your profile's Recommended Fics. I was scouring the site for NejiTen inspiration, and I was so surprised to see the fic in the list. Totally made my day, thank you!_

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"... so that explains why you suddenly turned up here, huh?" asked Tenten wryly as she sat with Neji on the curb in front of the swordsmith's workshop. "I mean, what did you _think_ was I doing?"

"None of your business," he muttered darkly, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Wait, so you're telling me that your take on what _I_ was doing is none of _my_ business?" She placed her arms behind her head and let out a sigh. "Not only is that rude, but it's also logically problematic, Neji. I mean, as the doer of the business, I say that kinda involves me in the whole process, ne?"

He let out an indignant grunt. "Well, your housemates' words were ripe for misconstrued responses."

"So which parts were misconstrued?" she couldn't help but ask teasingly.

"No comment."

"That bad?"

"Unfortunately so," he finally admitted in a grudging tone, sending her into fits of bubbly laughter. For all of Hyuuga Neji's sophisticated executive's finesse, he was still prone to moments of silly follies like this after all.

Truth to be told, she felt relieved at that. Was it because she was searching for a chink in his impeccable armor? Or was she just searching for a sign that he was, somehow, still a person who was within her reach?

"What an annoying sight to see so early in the morning!"

Neji turned to the source of the voice and found two adult men nearby, each holding a sack of charcoals. They weren't looking at their direction, but they were chatting loudly enough for everyone else to hear.

"If _that person_ wanted to pick up dates, wouldn't it have been better to go to the pub, rather than play around in Io-sama's workshop?"

The other man nodded vigorously. "That's right, that's right! I can't understand why someone as frivolously-minded has been accepted as an apprentice by Io-sama! This is the reason women shouldn't force themselves into a man's field."

"Ignore them, Neji," Tenten murmured under her breath as she restrained his shoulder firmly. "This isn't the first time they did this, and this certainly won't be the last." Then in a louder voice, she added, "My goodness, that is so true! If not for troublesome women like Amaterasu handing down the kusanagi and the art of sword making to her grandson, then NO man throughout history had to slave before fires to make these overpowered kitchen knives. We'd probably have gone to wars with farm-fresh killer radishes instead."

Both men turned red in anger and shame. "Why you impertinent—" One of the men suddenly broke into a running attack towards Tenten. She prepared to dodge, but Neji had already moved forward, shielding her. Then in one swift move, he caught the assailant's arm.

"Don't touch her," warned Neji before twisting the man's arm effortlessly behind his back. The defenseless man let out a pained cry in response.

"Neji, let that idiot go!" snapped Tenten.

"Defending someone who tried to harm you?" he asked in irritation. "What is it about women and their misplaced kindness?" He suddenly recalled his heiress cousin who continued to bow before the chiding company stockholders during meetings. Never once did she lose her tranquil smile, saying they were part of the reason that the Hyuuga family business could continue supporting its hundred-strong employees and their dependents.

Tenten, on the other hand, let out a sigh of exasperation before holding out a scolding finger. "Dummy. One, kindness is NOT a _woman_ thing, it's a _human_ thing." She raised another finger. "And two, his arms are his most important equipment for making a living. I don't want his wife and kids to suffer in hunger just because they're related to this bozo."

"Fine." He finally relented at her words, shoving the ashen-faced man to the ground. The latter frantically scampered away from them. Behind them, the crowd buzzed after witnessing the beautiful, fragile-looking Tokyo man get the better of the burly man twice his body size.

"Envy is such an unsightly thing to see, especially among cowards who can't work hard enough to improve themselves," he remarked caustically.

"They're right about one thing, though. I do have to go back to work." She stretched her arms upwards and let out a satisfied exhale. "Well, that was a refreshing break. Thanks for stopping by, Neji. I did appreciate your concern, 'misconstrued' as it may have been."

He opted to ignore her good-natured parting jibe. "What time do you get off from here?"

"At sun down. Beyond that, it gets too dark to work inside."

"Don't you have a shift today at the pub?" he asked in a tone that suggested a barrage of scolding if she answered him in affirmative.

She shook her head. "I'm a part-timer. I specifically come here on the days when I am on off."

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."Good," he nodded, pointedly disregarding the curious, even admiring gazes from her male colleagues.

Not that she could blame them. From this distance, the elegantly-postured, long-maned Hyuuga looked more womanly than her in every way. And despite heeding her pleas to dress more casually— Neji came over wearing a plain white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows paired with dark belted pants— he still unquestionably stood out in the Shimanto crowd like fine china in a sea of pine charcoal.

"I'll be here to pick you up," he stated before turning his back on her.

"Eh?" she blinked. "Why?"

"Why you say?" He whirled around, and even she had to gulp nervously upon seeing the thin, impatient line set on his face.

"I promised to make you happy, didn't I?" he asked testily, kneeling before her so they could be in the same eye level. "How would I be able to do that if I do not understand you? And how will I understand you if I do not spend my time with you?" His face was inching closer and closer to hers, but it seemed she was the only one aware of it because he was too preoccupied with his nagging. "If you have objections to this, I would rather have you state them now clearly—"

"Or forever hold my peace?" she quipped, finally giving him a gentle push back. Seeing his confused expression, she smilingly raised her hands in surrender. "Ahaha, got it! See you at sundown, Neji."

Only then did his face relax. "Alright. Have a good day at work, Tenten." Wit his final piece said, he got up and walked away. Her eyes remained glued to his back as he disappeared off into the next corner.

"Somehow… it feels like we just watched a newlyweds' scene at home." She heard someone from behind mutter.

 _Good thing Neji didn't hear that one._ Her coffee-brown eyes softened. _Make me happy, huh? Tokyo businessmen sure know how to make a sale._

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 _A GAIJIN AS OUR EMPEROR?!_

 _WHY SHOULD OUR COUNTRY BE LED BY A FAIR-HAIRED STRANGER? DOES HE LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO TRULY HAS JAPANESE BLOOD RUNNING THROUGH HIS VEINS?_

 _DO YOU THINK HE'S TRULY MARRIED TO THE RED-HOT HABANERO? MAYBE THIS IS ALL A CONSPIRACY BECAUSE OUR EMPRESS FAILED TO PRODUCE AN HEIR!_

Nohara Rin leaned back against her swivel chair, sighing deeply. Despite the initial warm welcome that the imperial family first received during the palace presentation, recent surges of negative sentiments on social media about the legitimacy of the Crown Prince had started to take hold on social media and LINE.

Historically a closed and homogenous society, Japan has always been notorious for its _gaijin_ complex— its wariness for non-Asian foreigners that want to mingle with its native populace. With the prominent golden hair often associated with Caucasians, Rin could see why people were less enthused about the next-in-line for the throne.

But she of all people knew how wrong the netizens were. No one in Japan loved the country more than her former teacher.

Namikaze Minato embodied the eight virtues of Bushido in a way that could make even Nitobe Inazo proud. Minato-sensei was benevolent, as he was courageous and righteous. He treated everyone with respect, and always endeavored to display honor and integrity in everything he said and did. Above all, he fiercely held duty and loyalty in the highest regard.

But how could she make the people understand how incredible Minato-sensei was when they could not look beyond his color and lineage?

More alarmingly, the anonymity of social networks gave rise to the proliferation of massive bot trolls that stoked the fire of uneasiness towards the Crown Prince. And she was sure that Councillor Danzo Himura and his ilk had their hands in it, given how they'll be the biggest beneficiaries in all of this if ever the tide of public opinion went against the imperial royal family.

 _I just have to find the link. I'm sure they're bound to mess up soon._ She felt a surge of optimism when she recalled the scoop from Hatake Kakashi earlier: it seems the Ministry of Justice, led by Uchiha Itachi, managed to get their hands on documents and equipment linking the Speaker of the House to internationally notorious Interpol target, Orochimaru. The cleanup job was sure to keep him and his team preoccupied, and give her a few more days to investigate.

For now, she left Uchiha Obito in charge of the protection of the entire imperial royal family, particularly Naruto. Kakashi, on the other hand, was circling incognito behind enemy lines where he judiciously kept discreet friendships and communication lines back when he was still working for the Root.

 _We will protect you and your family, Sensei,_ she silently vowed. _Because I know you will become Japan's greatest emperor._

Just then, a message notification came through her mail. Upon reading the note, she fired up an internal encrypted phone app to call Obito and Kakashi. As expected, the former answered in a heartbeat, while the latter did not pick up. The silver-haired man had previously told them that he would only answer calls when it was convenient, namely, when he was not in his infiltration assignments.

"Obito, a defector from Speaker Danzo's team sent me a feeler. He wants to meet up and talk about the Russian web brigades the Councillor is working with to orchestrate the attacks against Sensei."

"I'm coming with you—"

"No!" she cut him off immediately. "Stay with Naruto and the imperial royal family. I'm bringing security with me anyway."

"But—"

She used what she hoped was the firmest tone she had. "Remember, Obito. We all have our roles to play. Let's stick to them until the day Sensei successfully ascends to the throne."

"Does that stupid scarecrow know about this?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Couldn't reach him, but let him know once he surfaces, okay?"

"Alright." However, her childhood friend's voice sounded anything but that.

She hated making him feel bad, so she hurriedly added in a more conciliatory tone, "If this tip pays off, Obito, then we can make a critical dent on Speaker Danzo's influence. Our laws may not have a high treason offense against the emperor and his family anymore, but the people will be counted on to rally against any harm done directly against the throne, especially when aided by foreign powers."

"I know." She heard him sigh deeply from the other end of the line. "I know that. But I want you to be safe."

"As do I, when I think about you and Kakashi working on your own assignments." An affectionate smile spread on her face. "Thank you, Obito."

"Rin, you know I... about you, um, I..."

"Hmm?" She cradled the receiver closer to her ear, patiently waiting for him to finish what he wanted to say.

He sighed again, more audibly this time. "N-Nothing. Just… be careful, okay?"

"I will," she promised solemnly.

"T-This is too important! They cannot get their hands on you, Rin. Do you understand?" he pressed. "When things don't feel right, go back at once!"

"Absolutely." Whenever Obito talked to her this way, it seemed like she was transported back in the days when, at age six, she would tag along the boys' adventures despite Obito's worries that it would be too dangerous for a girl and Kakashi's protests that she would only get in the way.

"We'll protect Sensei and everyone together," she declared reassuringly. "I'll send you the details of where the meetup will take place once I confirm them."

"Ayt!"

.

.

After taking off his outdoor shoes, Neji was about to head for his room when Gai's voice rung out from the kitchen. "Is that you, Neji, honored guest of our humble home?"

"Y-Yes." Had it been his peers in the workplace who greeted him in that fashion, he would have easily came up with a more acerbic retort. But in the brief time he had been staying at this house, he had learned that this was Gai's harmless way of talking to people in general. In Gai's eyes, he truly was an esteemed household visitor.

Gai's face peeked into the doorway. "Then you'll have to properly announce your presence. Say 'I'm home!'"

 _Huh?_

"Come on, try it now! Say it!" coaxed the older male,seemingly his blank gape.

Reminding himself of his dependent status in this house, he finally yielded. "I-I'm home."

The greeting came out awkwardly, almost inaudibly. Yet the smile that bloomed on the old man's face shone brighter than before. "Welcome back!"

 _So this is how it feels._ An odd touch of warmth filled Neji's chest upon hearing the words. Having been reared in an environment that seemed to revolve around the head of the family, he never really had the chance to say this to the people around him… till now.

"You never got to finish your breakfast because you were in such a hurry earlier. Come to the table and I'll reheat your food." Gai gestured for him to follow, which he obediently did. "Did you get to meet Tenten?"

"I did." He did not mention anymore the mortifying exchange between him and the woman— his pride had enough beating for one day. "I was surprised. There aren't many women who are interested in making swords."

"Indeed. After all, it's hard labor and financially unviable." Gai fired up the stove and tossed a bowl of curried rice carelessly into his wok. "But our Tenten has made up her mind ever since she was a little girl."

"I see." _For a little girl to decide that while all other girls her age dream to be princesses, she sure is mentally stronger than most grown-ups I know._ "How did she get interested in swordsmithing?"

The man chuckled. "I'm not really sure. She just came home one day, looking very excited, and declared she was going to dedicate her life in learning how to make swords. I didn't take her seriously then, because you know how kids are."

He approached him to place the bowl of now-steaming curried rice before him. "But she never looked back since then. She asked me to take her to sword museums and buy her books about the swordsmith greats— from Masamune to Gassan. When we moved to Shimanto, she began her apprenticeship under Io-sama, a Mukansa and touted among to be the next Living National Treasure cultural awardees."

"A Mukansa?" echoed Neji after expressing gratitude for the offered food.

"A swordsmith that has previously won swordsmith prizes and has already exhibited his work nationally," explained Gai, taking a seat beside him. "A massively talented man, that Io-sama, but he's quite strict. He doesn't easily take in apprentices."

Lines formed on Neji's forehead. "But the men I saw hanging around the workshop…"

"Mere aspirants. Tenten is Io-sama's only apprentice," said Gai with a dismissive wave in his hand.

The businessman had to smile at that. "She must have been quite convincing to have the Mukansa pick her among all other aspiring swordsmiths."

"Damn straight!" Rock Lee joined them in the dining area, naked from the torso up except for a fluffy white towel hanging around his neck. His still-wet bangs clung to his eyes, making it one of the rare times that his prominent eyebrows had been handily concealed. "Tenten's determination and hard work is peerless, just as expected of someone reared by Gai-sensei!"

"Oh, Lee! Can you be any more inspiring this wonderful morning?" Gai's eyes glistened in manly tears. "Your passion moves your teacher's heart exceedingly!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

Wordlessly, Neji slinked away from the table before he could be sandwiched in between the men's sobbing, heartfelt embrace.

.

.

.

 _How long have I been walking?_

Uchiha Sasuke scanned the seemingly endless dark hallway ahead of him. The only illumination guiding him at the moment was coming from the gaps underneath the closed doors that lined both sides of the corridors. He imagined there was some sort of activity happening behind each door, but he opted to stay in the main hallway for the time being so he could try and spatially organize himself in some way.

He itched to measure the darkened place in some way, just like how bats and dolphins navigate through echoes. But sans lab equipment, he knew the measurements would be too inaccurate if accomplished by listening alone.

At one point, he almost felt like his partner, Haruno Sakura, had appeared briefly by his side and called out his name in her usual worried fashion. He had always found that certain part of her exasperating, as she couldn't muster the same amount of concern for herself (especially considering how impulsive she was).

Yet he could not claim to wholly dislike that trait of hers, too. It felt good to know that he was not truly alone in this world. Should he disappear, someone would actually notice it and remember he was supposed to be there.

Just then, he heard something shockingly out of place— a child crying. His eyes scanned the corridor as he strained to locate the source of the sound with his ears. The search led him to the fourth door on the right.

Without hesitation, Sasuke turned the knob to open the door.

 _What the..._

In contrast to the inky darkness, the place he stepped into was bright and sunny. The ground was carpeted with verdant lawn with circular stone steps leading to a two-storey house. Two red and white fans adorned either side of the walls framing the main door of the abode.

Above him was a small balcony where several clotheslines of bedsheets fluttered with the breeze. _So a family lives in here. But why did this door lead me here?_

Just then, its doors slid open. Quickly, he leapt towards the direction he figured would be hidden from the angle of the balcony. He ended up crashing on the nearby bushes, which turned out to be Japanese barberry. Stifling his yowls of pain, he hurriedly extricated himself from the thorny garden shrub.

"How odd!" a female voice remarked overhead.

Sasuke nervously looked up to see if he had been spotted. To his relief, he must have found a very good hiding spot, for the raven-haired woman above didn't turn his way.

"What's wrong?" He heard another woman ask, her voice coming from the inside of the house.

The long-haired woman shook her head. "It's nothing. I just thought I sensed Sasuke-kun's presence, for some reason. His chakra signature feels slightly different, though."

A peal of laughter rang from the room. "That's impossible, Hinata-chan! Sasuke-kun shouldn't even be in this dimension at this time."

"He travels a lot, doesn't he?" The pale-skinned woman finally returned to the room, sliding the doors shut behind her.

Sasuke heaved a sigh of relief and stepped out of the shadows. He wasn't even sure where he was and who the people were, but he had a feeling that he didn't want to be found just yet. Not without understanding why the door led him to this place.

"Papa!"

He nearly fell back in surprise when a small body crawled up to his leg. The words, though, froze his entire body. _This feeling… from seven years ago..._

"Papa?" A tiny pair of hands gripped his leg tighter, leaving him with no choice but to collapse onto the ground beside the child. With that, he was also finally able to inspect the child more closely.

 _A girl._

She had dark hair and onyx eyes, and for a moment, he thought he was looking back at a childhood photo of him. Her beautiful facial features, though, reminded him of someone else. Instantly, an image of his grinning lab partner flashed in his mind.

Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling of tenderness filled him. Of course, this child could be no other than that little girl whose voice saved him that fateful night! She sounded older back then, but there was no mistaking that this was the same girl he wanted to see.

The epiphany shook him so hard he felt his chest tighten. A most bewildering thought, considering how small and defenseless the child before him looked.

 _At last… I've met you…_

His body moved on instinct. Scooping the little girl into his arms, he held her close to his beating heart, careful to keep his natural strength in check in fear of hurting her fragile form.

As a physicist, he always strived to take a moment to step back and examine anything and everything from the impartial, clinical lens of his field. Moreover, he promised himself that should he have another opportunity to experience the otherworldly phenomenon he had back when he was twelve, he was going to break down the experience from a detached scientist's perspective in order to get the most amount of data.

Yet at that moment, he was utterly lost in the indescribable feeling of tranquility and contentment as he held the babe in his arms. The little girl, too, seemed to have found the same peace and had trustingly fallen asleep in his arms.

"So it was your crying that I heard, huh?" he murmured to the sleeping lass. Recalling the snippet of conversation he heard earlier, he added, "Was it because your Papa left you?"

He gingerly traced the teary path on the child's face with his finger. "I know it's too early to tell you this, but I'm not sure we'll have the chance to meet again anytime soon, so let me say this anyway." He brought his face close to her ear. "Your Papa loves you very much. I'm sure he must be feeling miserable right now, not being able to see you. But knowing his heart, I'm sure he'll come rushing back to you when you call for him. So please, keep even a tiny space in your heart for him."

A peculiar feeling of lightness started to spread through his body. When he looked at his arms, he saw that he was starting to become transparent— as if he was about to vanish into thin air.

 _Just a bit more, let me stay like this._ He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, enjoying the sound of the toddler's soft snores. _What was the name she told me that time? Ah yes._ His eyes turned a shade warmer in affection.

 _Sarada._

.

.

.

Haruno Sakura paused from her work to peek at her notes from last night. With the help of her new team that Karin lent her, she tapped on the technology of near-infrared spectroscopy in order to observe Sasuke's brain activity during his state of web-walking, as Orochimaru had christened Sasuke's foray into their hypothesized Everett's web.

Typically, people suffering from depression-like state displayed an overall decline in brain activity, save for the limbic system, serving as the emotional core of the human body. But to her surprise, the findings show that Sasuke's brain was actively at work, particularly in the region that involved planning of movements.

"So the Everett's web is not some passive cinema experience where one can only watch," she posited. "Sasuke-kun is, in fact, a full participant during the experience. A simulation of senses. An illusion. A _genjutsu_."

She leaned back against her seat, lips pursed thoughtfully. "Now if only we can look into the content of what he's seeing… but we aren't equipped to analyze visual signals more complex than geometric shapes." She ended up messing her hair in frustration. "Grah, so annoying!"

"Sakura, shut up! People are still trying to sleep!" yelled Karin from one of the sleeping quarters nearby.

"S-Sorry!" Taking her usual seat on the floor by Sasuke's bedside but carefully keeping her distance from him so as not to trigger body changes in him again, Sakura gazed at her childhood rival and sleepily rested her chin on his bed.

 _Would you look at that!_

His expression was the closest she could see to an actual smile from him. The entire time she knew him, he had constantly worn a guarded expression on his face. There would be the briefest of times when what he felt would peek through, like confusion or amusement or awe. But just as quickly, his face would recover its stoic sheath.

So to see his mouth curved in such a pleasant way, she couldn't help but feel elated.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, what kind of delightful things are you seeing right now? I wish I could see it as well. You'd have to tell me everything when you get back so…"

A tear streaked down her cheek. "... so hurry back to me, okay? I can't wait to hear all about it."

After a few minutes, she drifted into sleep, just as the monitoring machine behind her beeped into life.

.

.

.

"I'm telling you, I already paid for my first order! And you didn't give me a receipt!"

"That's suspicious! Why won't we issue a receipt?"

Neji looked up from his laptop, frowning slightly. _Why is the pub such a hotbed for arguments here in Shimanto? Oh right, the sake._ He was killing time at the pub, looking through company e-mails.

In the past, he would have never considered looking at sensitive mails like these in public. But had he stayed home, he would have been forced by the bowl-haired duo to join them in jogging across thirty kilometers of sloped roads in mountainous Shimanto, which he believed were built primarily for powerful four-wheeled vehicles, not manic two-legged human bodies.

"Maybe you forgot! After all, you and the other waitresses only wanted to serve that visitor from Tokyo!" The bespectacled young lad, donning red round glasses that matched his overcoat, looked livid as he pointed an accusing finger at him.

. _Wait, why am I getting involved in this?_

"Oh my goodness, he's looking my way! Stop it, kyaaaaah!" The waitress cupped her hot cheeks, but she seemed more thrilled than embarrassed by the sudden attention from her crush.

The boy looked even more upset. "And you don't have the barest modicum of modesty to feign even a shallow denial! I can't believe this! How dare you do this to a longtime customer?!" Angrily, he slapped some bills on the table. "I'm never coming back here again!" With that, he stomped out of the establishment.

 _If Tenten was here..._ Neji massaged his now starting-to-ache temples. _Ugh, dammit._

.

.

.

"Hey!"

Shoseki turned to the source of the voice and gasped. It was the Tokyo man in the flesh, holding a bag of food that he recognized as coming from the pub. Instantly, his face burned. "What? You came here to make fun of me? They sided with you despite knowing that I'm a more valuable customer, all because you look like a rich fashion model."

"Your order." The man thrust the bag towards him.

He was initially confused, but it didn't take him long to realize what the Tokyo visitor's game was. "Oh, I get it! You wanna play the good-looking, chivalric, and cool hero who suavely jumps in and offers to pay for the bill of a stranger in order to captivate the hearts of the people, isn't that right?"

"Not in the slightest."

"LIAR!"

"Believe what you will, but take this." The long-haired male pushed the food bag towards him. "Someone must be waiting for this takeout. The person must have no means to get the food himself, despite being a longtime fan of it. So, take this and hurry."

This made Shoseki do a double take. That was something a daytime drama hero would say to make fangirls swoon, but what he didn't expect was the genuine sincerity his tone possessed. In the end, he grudgingly took the bag from the man. "You have my thanks, beautiful Tokyo man, but you haven't won me over yet!"

"Who the hell said I was trying to win you over?!" _And what the hell is with this 'beautiful Tokyo man' line they keep on using on me?_

Shoseki gave him an amicable wave. "Till we meet again!" With that, he ran off to the south, near the workshop where Tenten was.

Neji stuffed his hands in his pocket. _I wonder if my meddling would have made Tenten happy. She seems to be the type to help people out, no matter how inconvenient circumstances become for her._

"Oh well." He started his way back to the pub. He still had six whole hours before he was due to pick up Tenten from the workshop.

.

.

.

 _Sai was aware of the wary, suspicious looks from his new colleagues after his superiors at the Public Information Agency announced his addition to the team._

 _The newbie before them was a former double agent that infiltrated the Root, speculated to be Councillor Danzo's very own private army. He was rumored to have been the go-between for top-tier shady characters in the government, and had dealings with feared names like the mad prodigy, Orochimaru._

 _But the pitiful handful of agents working for Japan's intelligence network needed as many personnel as they could, especially with the plans to expand the espionage activities beyond the clerical aids the country presently provides to other friendly international intelligence agencies._

 _So here he was, showing up at a welcome party for him at the bar, where none of the attendees wanted him in the team at all. There were the useful boisterous laughter and cheers of "Kampai!", but no one turned his way. Not even once._

 _And that was fine with him as well. He understood that loyalty to one's own was a particularly significant value among the people. It was the offspring of two other virtues they hold dear: owning up to one's debt of gratitude and living honorably. Because of this, it may be difficult for them to understand the moral compasses of double agents like him._

 _He didn't mind. He neither liked nor disliked any one of the people sitting on the table with him. He did set a hard stop for 10 in the evening, though. Waking up early in the morning was important for him so he could jog around, visit his adoptive brother Shin, and work on his drawings before he had to head for work._

" _KAMPAI!" a woman cried out from somewhere in the large hall, sending the rest of the pub erupting into cheers._

 _His eyes shifted towards the center of attention. A fair-haired woman was seated on the bar stool, chugging a beer mug that seemed more like a tumbler in size. She downed the unusually large serving of liquor, and then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand with a flourish._

 _This left a plum smear that ran well beyond her bow-shaped lips. Paired with her flushed cheeks and loose hair bun, she made quite a picture of joyful inebriation._

 _And he couldn't take his eyes off her._

" _Oh?" For the first time in the whole night, someone from his table nudged him. "You're checking out Yamanaka-sensei?" He heard the man click his tongue. "She's out of our league."_

" _Is she drinking on her own?" he asked, briefly looking at his colleague before turning his gaze back at the laughing woman._

" _Oh." His co-worker sounded disappointed for a moment when it became apparent that he only misinterpreted the newbie's surprising concern for an attractive woman. "Yep, she usually is. But don't worry, no one would dare touch her." His colleague sounded pretty confident with his assertion. "She's Yamanaka Ino, the heiress to the Yamanaka clan, and more importantly, this town's only resident doctor. She drinks like that as a way of socializing with the townsfolk."_

" _I see."_

 _And that was the extent of the conversation. His curious colleague had lost interest in him and had turned back to everyone else in the table for more conversation and laughter._

 _He, on the other hand, discreetly maintained a watchful eye on the town doctor and the people around her, his self-imposed curfew long forgotten._

 _An hour later, his table called it an evening and politely bade him good night. To rid them of the awkwardness of having to offer their newbie a ride, he voluntarily told them that he was going to stay for a few more drinks. He concealed a smirk when he saw the relieved expression on everyone's faces._

 _ **No lovelier way to end the evening than a fun teambuilding activity at the bar,**_ _he thought dryly as he watched his colleagues depart._ _ **Cheers!**_

 _A number of customers followed suit shortly. After all, it was still a weeknight, and everyone had morning jobs to prepare for and families to return to._

 _His eyes were drawn back to Yamanaka Ino. who was still drinking albeit with fewer company. She was also less rowdier, but her smiles were still bright as ever._

 _ **How many more bottles do you intend to drink, lady?**_ _She had gone beyond socialization-purposed drinking at this point. He now realized that the good doctor was drinking herself to a stupor, like a heartbroken lover in some stupid chick flick._

 _Nearly everyone knew who she was, but no one approached her to try and stop her from ordering more bottles. Was it truly her norm? Was he merely underestimating her capacity for booze?_

 _No. His instincts were almost never wrong._

 _He proved that yet again when Ino suddenly got up, staggering on her feet, and holding on the counter for balance. A staff member immediately came to her side, but she smilingly brushed them aside._

 _Everyone else watched the doctor in pity and indecision, but no one knew what was the right thing to say or do. It was an emotional distance reserved virtually for strangers._

 _ **Does she not have any friends in this town?**_ _Suddenly, Sai got up to settle his bill. He exited from the other door so as not to arouse any suspicion, but once he was outside, he circled the property until he found her._

 _She was leaning forward against the wall, throwing up her guts._

 _He kept a respectful distance away from her, standing with his back facing her. This went on for a few more minutes until finally she quieted down._

" _Anything I can get you?" he offered, still not turning her way._

" _A-An explanation will be great," she replied hoarsely. "What kick do you get out of listening to a lady puke her organs out?"_

 _So the lady has a sharp tongue. "It's hard to explain."_

" _So it's some kind of a fetish?"_

 _He felt his mouth curve in amusement. "Who knows?"_

" _Got good news for you then." Ino let out a sorrowful groan. "I think my stomach's not done with me yet."_

" _Do you need any help?" he asked._

" _Yeah. Can you please hold my hair?"_

 _He turned to her abruptly, not expecting her request. That's when he saw her nonchalantly gathering her loose tresses into a low ponytail. With a single graceful motion, she twisted them upwards into a bun and held it out to him expectantly, like a queen waiting for her servant to do her bidding._

 _At that moment, there was no other conceivable response he could give her but one._

" _As you wish." He clasped her hair, which felt like spun silk tickling the gaps of his fingers._

" _Tighter, please." Her voice rose barely above a whisper._

 _He nearly dropped his hold, startled by his own body's foolish reaction to her mere words._

" _It's a nightmare washing the icky stuff off them in the morning," she added with a pout._

 _He wordlessly obliged, combing her hair with his own fingers and then securing it more tightly with his grasp. While doing so, he could not help but notice how their proximity afforded him a closeup view of the woman's long, slender neck, seductively lined by a few tendrils that unraveled loose from her nape._

 _He gulped inwardly, and then cast his eyes on the ground instead._

" _Perfect." And with that, Ino unceremoniously resumed her stomach's business._

" _Feeling better now?" he asked when her shoulders finally ceased moving._

" _Y-Yeah, somewhat."_

 _He handed her a pack of wet wipes from his bag._

" _Thanks." She gratefully received the moist towelettes from him. "I didn't know men keep things like this."_

" _They're quite nifty." During long stakeouts for his assignments, he relied on baby wipes for hygiene and disinfectants, as well as for on-the-fly cleanup jobs that involved blood, grime, and thumb marks._

" _You're right. I should start keeping something like this in my bag, too." She flashed him the same bright smile she sported at the pub. "Thanks for your help."_

" _Should I call you a cab?" Wait, were there cabs in this area? "Should I walk you home?"_

 _She twirled her hair around her finger. "Oh. Okay, so you want to sleep with me as a reward for being a good boy scout?"_

" _Unfortunately, I have a policy against sleeping with inebriated women, particularly those who I've just witnessed puking their hearts out."_

 _The lady doctor laughed heartily at that. "Your loss."_

" _You shouldn't pose questions like that to people so easily," he sighed._

 _Her eyes twinkled in mirth. "Let me guess what you'll say next. Sex is something I should only do with the people I love. Hmm?"_

" _Your body, your call," he replied with a shrug. "But you're a doctor. You of all people should know that you should do something like that safely, and with someone you can trust. It'll be great if it happens to be someone you like, too, though."_

" _Well, I trust you. And I like you. And—"_

" _You're drunk," he interrupted, perhaps a little more forcibly than necessary. He was at his wits' end with this woman. "Do you have a family member I can call to pick you up?"_

 _Instead of replying, she tiptoed and gave his head an affectionate pat. "You're a good man, you know? You're a really good man."_

" _Yes, yes. Now give me a number to call." He was grateful that the darkness was enough to conceal whatever embarrassing expression his face was wearing at the moment._

" _Hmm. My dad's." She proceeded to recite the number by heart._

 _He also never erased that number from his contacts anymore._

 _The very next day, he filed his resignation with the agency. His superiors initially denied his request, fearing that he would go back to Root. But after threatening to disclose the names of all his colleagues present at the welcome party, the agency director himself wrote up a recommendation and personally introduced him to Yamanaka Inoichi._

 _When he and the lady doctor met again, there was no trace of the free-spirited woman he met that night. Her hair was tied back in a proper bun, her plum lipstick was impeccably applied, and her smile was as empty as a noh mask._

 _She also didn't recall who he was. That much he expected. After all, a spy's best asset is to be unmemorable._

 _Becoming her bodyguard and driver allowed him to meet another side of her. Yamanaka Ino spent impossibly long hours at work, as if she was desperate to exhaust herself to the point that she wouldn't even have the capacity to think or dream in the pitiful amount of sleep she gets._

 _With his resources and skills, he only needed a day of investigation to understand what she was going through. But he knew it would take much, much longer than that to help her get through it._

 _So till that day comes, he was going to stay by her side and watch over her._

.

.

.

Sai's closed lids fluttered when he felt something cold brush gently on his forehead. Instinctively, his hand reached out to identify what it was, but he felt something warm and soft instead. He blanked out for a moment, his groggy mind still struggling to reconcile the dissonance of sensations he felt.

"Feel free to let go of my hand once you're done with it."

Even with his eyes closed, he knew at once who that snarky voice belonged to. "Then you'll never have it back, Sensei." He slowly guided her hand to his lips.

"Y-Y-YOU STUPID PERVERT!" This was followed by a splash of icy cold water on his face.

He sat up from the couch where he had fallen asleep last night, chuckling as he wiped his face with the dry towel. "Sensei, so mean! Don't your practice offer gentler ways to wake up a drunk person?"

"I took that one from the emergency handbook for dealing with drunk weirdos." His mistress' face was still burning in embarrassment, causing him to chuckle some more.

"A-Anyway, you had a good restful sleep," said Ino, shifting the topic with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. "You waved the white flag before I did, though."

 _Ah._ That was when he noticed that her eyes were already glazing over, with her sheer willpower not to lose to him being the only reason she could still sit. It didn't even take him five minutes of pretend shut-eye to hear her soft snores. After which, he carried her to her own bedroom and tucked her into bed.

He then returned to the couch, not to sleep but to drink some more. There was no way he was going to easily fall asleep, what with the dangerously disconcerting image of his slumbering mistress persistently occupying his senses.

"Duly noted, Sensei," he replied pleasantly. "How many bottles did we knock out again?"

"Hmm, three buckets, tops?"

"Incredible! We certainly showed our livers a thing or two. Hah!"

Ino poured him a glass of hydrating grape-flavored sports drink. "You didn't even drink that much. Why do you look so awful?"

"Ha ha ha!" He took a sip from the glass, welcoming the cool, sobering feeling of the fluid.

"We should do this again soon! But we'll be more careful about keeping count of your bottles, since you obviously can't hold your liquor." Ino clicked her tongue at him. "I mean, I should have done that last night, but you looked so happy drinking!"

 _Why wouldn't I be?_ He smiled inwardly. _This is how I got to meet you after all._

.

.

.

Rin was dozing off in the backseat of the minister's service car when her mobile phone rang. Groggily, she reached for the device. "Yes?"

"Where are you right now?"

There was no mistaking the no-frills caller. "Good afternoon to you, too, Kakashi. I'm on my way to the meeting place. Did Obito send you the location details?"

"He did. He also placed a number of eyes watching the rendezvous point like a hawk. I was almost impressed. Almost."

She let out a giggle, but when she spoke again, her tone had turned earnest. "See? You can rely on me and Obito, even a bit."

"He only becomes reliable when it comes to matters concerning you," he replied flatly.

"Nonsense! Your safety also means the world to him, Kakashi."

He grunted, recalling how Obito gave him some tongue lashing for not being immediately reachable via the phone, and then shifted gears to plead for him to take care of Rin. "In any case, what's the name of your contact who sent you the feelers?"

"It's Kinoe." She started to fill him in with what little information the person shared about himself in their exchanges.

The other end of the line went quiet for some time that Rin had to call out to her friend to confirm whether the call was cut.

"I'm still here." Kakashi answered, though he sounded distracted. "Kinoe, huh?"

Ever perceptive, Rin asked, "Is everything okay? Should I still proceed?"

He deliberated on how he should answer that. Being a highly secretive organization, Root has made it a rule to make a revolving door out of its members' codenames. He didn't have intel on this Kinoe character yet, but if the person claimed to know that much about Danzo's plans, then he should be a high-ranking officer whose knowledge of the organization and its leader would be very helpful to their mission.

"Yes," he finally decided. "Everything is okay, Rin. Proceed with the rendezvous." He decided to gamble on this certain dice. It entailed the unpleasant idea of using his friend as a bait, but he would be on their trail anyway. "Put me on speaker and don't turn the GPS off. I'll follow you."

"Alright," she replied. "Take care and be safe, Kakashi."

This had been her customary line for the past couple of decades, but every time he hears this from her, her words always manages to touch him as if she had spoken them for the first time.

"I will," he promised. "Now go back to sleep. If I interrupted your dream at the part before your hot make-out session with your fantasy stud started, then I apologize to you and your maidenly heart."

"Kakashi, you're on speaker and I'm with security."

"Then I apologize for keeping them updated about your preferences."

.

.

.

"You're here!" Those were Tenten's first two words for him when she spotted him waiting by the curb at sunset.

"Of course. I told you I'd pick you up, right?" He took in her sooty appearance, and for a moment, she felt almost self-conscious. "You worked hard."

"Thanks." She led the way to the bicycle rack, where hers was stationed in the leftmost slot. She chose to walk with it rather than ride it though, out of consideration for her companion. "How was your day?"

As always, Hyuuga Neji paid no heed to the gazes that came his way; there seemed to be more onlookers compared to this morning, so she presumed word had spread in the quiet little town about an attractive Tokyo man waiting by his lonesome at Io-sama's workshop.

"Uneventful."

Tenten grinned. "Ah, we can't have that! Let me take you to my favorite spot for a bit before we totally lose daylight." She tapped on her bike seat. "It'll be faster if we ride."

"I'll pedal," he said firmly. "Just tell me where to go."

She rolled her eyes. "What? Your ego can't stand having a woman do that for you?"

"You're tired from the day's labor."

 _Well if he puts it that way…_

Neji climbed on and looked at her expectantly. "So? Where to?"

Beaming, she climbed on to the seat. "Head for the riverside direction to the south."

.

.

.

"We got here just in time!" gushed Tenten happily as Neji parked the bike nearby. "There's still a little bit of the sun, see?"

His face relaxed into a serene smile. "Indeed." Words weren't necessary to show how awestruck he was by the twilight.

They maintained a comfortable silence as they watched the sun finally disappear in the horizon.

"We really made it in good time, " said Tenten, enjoying the nocturne breeze. "To be honest, I didn't even think you know how to ride a bike. You seemed like you never rode on anything in your life that wasn't some luxury car."

"I took Hinata-sama and her sister out for bike rides when we were young," he replied, not at all offended.

 _Hinata-sama?_ "Was she the person who asked you to find me?" she asked, facing him.

He didn't answer. In fact, he didn't even seem to have heard her, judging by how far away his eyes suddenly were. He was looking at something she couldn't see— a memory.

 _Oh well._ Not that it should matter, right? She decided to ignore the odd cold feeling that came to her out of nowhere.

"What's this place called?" asked Neji after a while.

"It's one of Shimanto's sinking bridges." Tenten gestured to the clear, sparkling river beneath them. "Every year, torrential rains cause the water from this river to rise, so they decided to build bridges without railings that sink with the water level so they won't wash away during floods."

"Won't we be impeding traffic by staying here?"

"Nah. We've got 67 of these. Plus this one's especially for pedestrians who like to do stargazing." As if to demonstrate her point, she plopped down on the road and used her arms as a pillow. "Try it! You can't get this close to the stars when you're in Tokyo."

He had to agree with that. He had been to Tokyo Tower at night several times, but the experience pales in comparison to this place. Perhaps it was because there fewer lights and sounds that compete with the night sky that the stars suddenly appeared bigger and brighter to his eyes.

"OH, OH! Did you see that?!" cried Tenten excitedly all of a sudden. "I saw a falling star! Quick, let's make a wish!"

"You can have that star. Knock yourself out."

"So you're not the wish-y type of person, huh?"

"I like to keep my expectations in life reasonable so I don't end up disappointing myself," he explained.

"You must be a fun person to have around in parties."

"No doubt."

Tenten opened her eyes after making a wish, and found herself the subject of Neji's studious scrutiny. "Hmm?"

He couldn't exactly tell her how she reminded him of her fortuneteller self from another timeline. "So what did you wish for?" he asked instead.

Tenten blinked, and then flashed him a grin. "What to do, what to do. On one hand, there's a saying that telling someone else about your wish would forfeit its entry into the cosmic lottery. But you don't seem like the guy who's often _that_ curious about other people, so I would like to encourage that part of you a bit—"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"— so I'll tell you this time," she continued. "I wished that I would become a swordsmith someday."

He looked back up at the night skies. "A swordsmith, huh?"

"Think it's too far-fetched for a woman to dream of?" She shrugged carelessly. "Don't worry, everyone else thinks so. In fact, Io-sama hasn't even let me get past the _sumiwari_ step in sword-making yet."

"I think it's a worthwhile dream," he remarked. "No object is fortunate enough to be in the intersection of beauty, history, artistry, culture, and science the way a true Japanese sword is."

Her eyes lit up upon hearing his unexpected words of support. "Right?!" She bolted up into a sit. "They say that owning a sword means owning a part of its swordsmith's soul. Someday, I'll sign my name on the _nakago_ of my creation and leave it behind to outlive me. Then I'll never be forgotten in this world!"

Recalling Yamanaka-sensei's story about her and Lee being orphans, he felt he started to understand—even just a little bit— her fixation on not being forgotten by the world.

Watching Tenten's excitement-filled eyes, Neji had to smile inwardly, too. It seemed he finally found the happiness he wanted to help her obtain.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


	9. Chapter 9

The story did not appear on either the primetime or late-night news blocks. The morning broadsheets made no mention of the incident either. Only obscure online bulletin boards made mention of a vehicle that veered off the bridge at full speed and crashed down the ravine in a fiery explosion. Police were all over the scene, they said, but nothing got reported in any of the major media outlets in Japan.

As expected of the Imperial Household Agency when it comes to keeping things related to the imperial family under wraps.

Hatake Kakashi pressed down the lid of the laptop when someone slid into the diner booth across him. The man looked pale and fatigued, and the dark circles around his eyes attested to his lack of sleep. He knew the man must have been up all night overturning all the seedy dens in Tokyo that his network could reach, desperately seeking for any leads regarding Kinoe.

"You should get yourself something to eat." He gestured to the diner menu, which offered mostly Western quick fixes. He himself ordered a plate of bacon, toast, and eggs, which was on his right, along with an order of a bottomless pot of black coffee.

Uchiha Obito's reply came out bleak. "Not hungry."

"Then get some shut-eye, at least." He tossed his friend the keys to his apartment, but the latter did not even look at it.

"Why did you not protect her, Kakashi?"

He knew that question was coming the moment Obito asked to go where he was. Nonetheless, hearing it still clawed through his heart, making him feel sick to the core.

"I entrusted her to you," continued Obito monotonously— a far cry from the cheery buddy that traded barbs with his ward, Uzumaki Naruto, through the years. "Since it was you, I thought it was fine. I wouldn't have done that if it were anyone else. But I thought if it were you…"

"Are you checking regularly on the Prince Regent and his family?" he asked instead as he sipped his coffee. "Don't spend all your time on a case that's already being investigated by the Security Bureau." He was referring to the national-level police agency in-charge of Japan's internal security affairs. Minato-sensei himself talked to the heads in order to prioritize the investigation into the crash that claimed the lives of three security officers and the Minister's trusted right-hand, Nohara Rin.

He saw shock and disbelief register in his best friend's eyes upon hearing his response. And then...

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Plates and utensils crashed against the floor when Obito suddenly got up and nearly overturned the table in order to grab his shirt.

"C-Customers!" The fearful waitress tried to approach them, but Kakashi held out a hand, signaling that he was going to handle it.

"Rin LOVED you!" yelled Obito, raw pain evident in his voice. "For twenty years, she has only ever looked at you! And yet you can't even muster even the tiniest bit of grief for her, you goddamn bastard!"

He carefully kept his face devoid of emotion. "My job isn't done yet. Once it's over, I will have all the time in the world to grieve."

From the corner of his eye, he could see it coming his way. He didn't move an inch though, and a second later, he felt the angry impact of the man's fist against his cheek. He immediately tasted blood as it seeped through the corner of his mouth, but once again, he made no motion to even wipe it away.

"There's nothing in the world I want to do more right now than to beat you to an inch of your scum life, Kakashi," hissed the Uchiha, his grip on his shirt tightening even more. "But I need to hunt down that Kinoe first to make him pay. Then I'll come for you again, Kakashi. I swear this on Rin's life."

With that, the dark-haired male finally let go of him, sending him stumbling back to his seat. He watched as the man disappeared behind the glass doors and into the night, knowing that this was the last time he would be able to do that unharmed.

"C-Customer," stammered the diner owner, prompting him to turn his attention to the concerned-looking foreigner. "You've been here working all night, too. You never even touched your food either. Maybe you should also head home and rest."

If it were concern for him or just the diner itself, Kakashi didn't know. But he promptly paid his bill and left. Not to head home, though— at this time, rest was the last thing on his mind.

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 _For_ _ **CokoKat**_ _— I'm glad you liked the sci-fi element of this story! Thank you very much for the review! — and_ _ **Tomoyo-sama**_ _— Rest assured that I am to finish this. (I update every 2 weeks to 1 month, depending on my IRL workload.) Thank you for following the fic!_

 _May I also shamelessly plug_ _ **Prime Difference**_ _, a Gaara x Tenten story I'm updating along with this story. Your reviews make this needy writer very happy! ;)_

* * *

"So you finally decide to show up, Hinata-sama." Despite the honorific suffix that followed her name, Hyuuga Hinata could sense the dripping mockery in the board member's voice as he and his other uncles welcomed her into the conference room.

She gave them a small bow. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Uncles. I have been busy attending meetings."

"Marriage meetings?" One of them snorted. "I heard you've been declining them left and right. You were even a no-show with the son of Minister Uzumaki!"

"Ohoho? The supposed grandson of the emperor? What a shame!"

She kept her head bowed. "I was referring to investor meetings."

"Oh?" Another board member piped in, looking intrigued. "Is Hiashi-sama ill? Why is his little girl making the rounds for him?" His expression was mirrored by everyone else in the room: the look of malicious glee and excitement at the thought of manipulating the naive princess of the Hyuuga business empire.

She walked past them and straight to her seat. "Father will be joining us another time. For now, let's start the board meeting. I have great news I am excited to share with all our shareholders."

After exchanging startled glances, the rest of the men followed suit and joined her in the conference table.

An assistant appeared beside Hinata to set up her slide deck and projector as she began her talk. "Gentlemen, let me apologize again for not convening the board sooner. I had wanted a clearer grasp of the direction our company needs to take so I may be ready to answer all your questions."

"W-Well, we also have an interesting development to share," began one of the board members. "Fairly recent, if you must know."

"Then I would love to hear it after my announcement." She flashed him a bright smile, just as her assistant turned off the lights.

The heiress then launched into her PowerPoint presentation, explaining her pitch meetings with prospective investors from both the public and the private sectors. She explained how the Hyuuga legacy and its century-old role in supporting the national economy by creating jobs now needed institutional support, and that pitching in would be good for the industry in the long run. In the end, this pitch helped her raise 90% of the funds needed in order to upgrade and modernize their equipment and facilities.

"And rather than borrow from banks to fund the remaining 10% and pay for interest, I would like to suggest temporarily not paying ourselves— the board— a salary for a year," continued Hinata.

"NONSENSE!" One of the men slammed his palms on the table, almost rattling its glass top. "A year is too long! We can't agree to that!"

She quietly steeled herself. "Uncle, all board members have stock dividends that will continue to be paid out regularly—"

The said man sneered at her. "You foolish, sheltered girl! Do you know how much the costs of maintaining an estate are?"

"I do!"

An awed silence filled the room.

"I do," she repeated, more firmly this time. "A conservative estimate of the upkeep of our mansion is at 2% of its value annually." She began to break down the expenses— estate tax, insurance, utilities, security, landscaping, and housekeeping, to name a few. The more she spoke, the more worried many of the board members looked. Some even looked dazed— perhaps they themselves weren't aware of the _actual_ numbers, opting to leave these all to their respective accountants.

When she finished, nobody spoke up immediately. No one expected the meek, sheltered heiress to answer the trick question that was meant to be rhetorical, let alone display such extent of practical knowledge. What caused the little princess to transform into this life-savvy queen in such a short time?

Meanwhile, not wanting to antagonize her relatives, Hinata was about to softly reiterate her proposal when she heard the sound of laughter and hands clapping at the back of the room.

The conference room was still dark, save for the blinding projector light, so she couldn't make out who the rude fellow was. He sounded young, though, so she was sure it wasn't one of her uncles. _Maybe an assistant? But would an assistant act that way?_

"Hahaha! Amazing, Hyuuga Hinata-san! You certainly don't disappoint." The voice sounded eerily familiar, but the laughter was definitely strange. She couldn't clearly recall this person as one capable of laughter.

Just then, lights flooded the room, thereby confirming her assumption. The unexpected guest in the boardroom was none other than Otsutsuki Toneri, the marriage prospect she upset the last time.

"O-Otsutsuki-san, why are you here?" she asked slowly.

"This is a Hyuuga Co. board meeting, yes?" Toneri gestured to her uncles, who all refused to meet her eyes. "That must be the reason why your relatives invited me. Ask them."

 _What did he mean by that?_ Her eyes roved around the room as a sinking feeling started to hit her.

"Hinata-sama, w-we didn't believe you were capable of delivering on your promise to raise the funds by the next board meeting so…" One of the Hyuugas looked patently uncomfortable. "... we decided to bring him aboard and discuss a possible merger with his group of companies instead."

She felt as if someone just walloped her in the guts. "W-Why was I not informed, Uncles?" Her fists balled tightly at her sides. "Is Father even aware of this?"

"Hiashi-sama is an aging, sickly man," exclaimed her relative defensively. "But his avarice won't permit him to pass down the company to anyone else but his family! He's even willing to bring in another stranger into the clan through your marriage, as long as it would mean him keeping the majority control of shares of this business!"

Her eyes flashed in rarely-seen anger. "And you proved Father right! At the slightest hint of adversity, you're all ready to sell off the company. So many employees and their families rely on us— how can you be so selfish? Availing yourselves of golden parachutes while thousands are set to lose their livelihoods… that's too cruel!"

"Then fire them."

All eyes flew towards Toneri, who had stopped laughing and was now pleasantly listening to the exchange.

"Y-You can't fire us!" whimpered one of her uncles. "What if this goes out to the business community? It will damage the reputation of the Hyuuga Corporation! No one will do business with us anymore."

Toneri let out a humorless chuckle. "Then your Hinata-sama will just have to secure a mass resignation from you. Imagine if it gets out that you all thoughtlessly disclosed confidential company information to me without an NDA or any form of black and white, just as she was able to raise a round of funds."

Once more, the room fell silent. But this time, tension was what's palpable in the room. They didn't count on their trump card ending up as a Joker, and then turning the tables on them on the last second.

"So, Hyuuga-san," The blind man seemed to inherently know where to find her in a roomful of people. "Will you fire these old fogeys?"

Hinata clasped her hands tightly.

.

.

.

 _When did it get so dark?_ Haruno Sakura's head turned left and right as she walked down the dimmed hallway. There were doors on either sides, but she opted not to stray off the main path first so she could get a partial idea on how big this maze' perimeter was.

Yet the more she walked, the longer and more infinite the hallway before her seemed to be. Ergo, she must be dreaming.

 _If I'm dreaming, then I don't have to be so cautious._ Finally, she decided to open the first door she saw to her left.

The minute she stepped inside, she was stunned to see a circular room that looked like an office. Behind a dark cedar table were large glass windows, their positions each offering a different view. One showed a large series of monument rock faces. Another showed off the beautiful skyline and peaceful townscape.

And one window showed a tall, sable-haired woman leaning against the glass, seemingly in deep thought. The woman, probably not a day over twenty, was clad in a flowing white coat, but black, fingerless gloves running up to her elbows peeked through the sleeves.

Unconsciously, her eyes met the woman's own through the glass reflection. And to her surprise, the face mirrored hers, save for the gorgeous onyx orbs reminiscent of her childhood rival's. They were framed by a pair of ruby glasses that stood out beautifully against her creamy complexion and midnight-colored tresses.

The said woman turned to her, ebony eyes quivering in an eddy of emotions. "C-Could it be…" she whispered, taking a hesitant step towards her.

 _She knows me!_ Sakura gulped inwardly. _And for some reason, I feel I know her, too. But why?_ Prior to this moment, she knew she had never met this person before. But she could not deny the feeling of familiarity as she looked at the face that was starting to blur between hers and Sasuke's.

"You did find a way to come!" Sarada finally burst into tears and ran straight to her arms. "Mama!"

 _Mama?!_ Her emerald eyes widened. _Whose? Hers? ME? EHHH?!_ A hundred questions were spinning dizzyingly into her mind, and the next thing she knew, her legs had given way underneath her.

.

.

.

"Thanks for walking me to work, Neji," Tenten thanked him graciously when they reached their destination that morning. "Even if you only did it to avoid getting dragged to Lee and Gai-sensei's morning Zumba with the community seniors."

"If he's able to do something as carefree as dancing, then he should start going back to training as well." Hyuuga Neji crossed his arms in front of his chest. "If he wants to regain his old tournament form, then he shouldn't waste his time."

Tenten's brown eyes shook. "Ah. So you've heard about his accident."

"Of course I did. That's what led me to you."

She felt her heart skip a beat. "Was it hard to find me?"

He nodded.

 _This is my chance!_ "Then why did you try so hard to do so?" she asked.

"Like I said, it was an important promise—"

"With whom?" she pressed, taking a step closer to him.

He unwittingly took a step back. "I don't have to tell you."

"Is it with that Hinata-sama you mentioned last night?" She took another step towards him. Last night, she yielded because he looked like there were many things going on in his mind. But she would not let him off so easily this time!

He let out an exasperated groan. "You and Hinata-sama… are two different things…"

"How are we different?" She usually hated comparisons because she believed each person had his or her own unique strengths. But this time, oddly, she wanted to know this man's opinion of her and that woman he seemed to always defer to.

"Just... different." Ignoring the unmistakable _I-want-to-know, I-want-to-know-dammit_ expressions on her face, the Hyuuga gave her a gentle push towards the workshop. "Anyway, you will be late for work."

"Fine! Don't even think for one second that we're done with this!" She stuck a tongue out at him, and then marched grumpily into the shop.

 _That woman… is so relentless..._ As Neji watched her disappear inside, he heard someone speak from behind.

"That's not how a cool, suave, handsome model should talk to girls."

"I told you, I'm nothing like that." He was about to walk away as per his usual convention with mere acquaintances, but then he remembered his real reason for being here. He suddenly turned to the bespectacled male. "Do you live around here?"

If the male was surprised by the sudden attention, he was quick to cover it up with a smug grin. "You can say that. I live in the workshop! I'm Io-sama's caretaker."

"Right…" He focused on jogging his memory for the right name. "...Shoseki, is it?"

Shoseki's beamed even more as he puffed his chest out in approval for being remembered, let alone by the town's coolest guy. "Yep, yep! That's me alright!"

"Can you help me arrange a meeting with the Mukansa?"

.

.

.

"Mama! Mama, are you alright? Mama!"

Sakura weakly opened her eyes and found herself in the anxious arms of the dark-haired woman. _This isn't a dream anymore, is it?_ She tested her strength by slowly getting back on her feet.

"You sure you can get up now, Mama?" The woman's charcoal eyes followed her every move, in a fashion not unlike how hers would follow Haruno Mebuki's big yet graceful movements. "Here, you can use this chair." She hurriedly pulled the lone seat behind the office desk.

As Sakura sank on the comfortably large chair, her eyes fell on the picture frame that stood out amidst the mountainous stacks of papers and binders. Upon lingering inspection, she saw that it was a family picture. But it was no ordinary photo— she immediately recognized the faces of the parents that stood proudly behind the little, ebony-haired girl with red glasses.

It was hers and Sasuke's faces, albeit dressed differently. _Did I accidentally enter Everett's Web, too?_

The adult version of the girl in the photo lovingly touched the photo frame. "Ah, we never got the chance to take a more recent family picture together, huh?"

Out of the blue, twelve-year-old Sasuke's words reverberated in her mind.

 _"You were a medic, but in the end, you settled down and became a housewife."_

"Papa returned to us briefly that time," narrated the woman, a pained smile on her face. "That's when we got to pose for that picture. But well, it didn't take long before he disappeared again.

"When I got promoted to Jounin and got assigned more frequently to missions outside Konoha, you started spending your time on medical missions to serve the poorest and remotest regions of the continent." She let out a sharp exhale. "I knew you were kind, but what I did not recognize at that time was you were also lonely. And you chose to fight that feeling out by bringing happiness to the impoverished and the marginalized."

 _Like Ino-chan, huh?_ The memory of her best friend from her world flashed in her mind.

"Then two years after, I was informed by the Hokage-sama." The woman's face crumpled. "My mother passed away from a fatal disease she contracted during her medical work."

Sakura felt her blood go cold.

"Mama died alone in the coldest, most isolated part of the continent because she didn't want the rest of the medics to contract her illness. But she passed on happily because she had touched so many lives. " Despite the heartbroken expression on her face, she could also see pride in the woman's face. Rightfully so, as the Sakura in this world led an admirably selfless life till the end.

 _"...but more importantly, why would that Haruno Sakura do that? That idiot! What about her dreams? If she is truly Sakura, then she should be as smart as I am! I have to talk to her and change her mind!"_

These were her words of rebuke as a 12-year-old girl after hearing her supposed domesticated fate in the alternate timeline. It was even one of reasons why she was so intent in pursuing her study of the elusive many worlds theory. Why should one waste her brilliance on a dead-end job that a paid nanny could accomplish just as efficiently, if not more?

But looking at the fully grown woman standing in front of her and mourning for her counterpart, she suddenly felt that the decision of this world's Haruno Sakura was not so idiotic after all. If it meant she was able to bring into this world and rear someone as lovely, compassionate, and strong as her daughter, then she couldn't wholly take that against her alternate self.

The Sakuras of different worlds made different decisions and went down different paths, but the choices each made for herself did not mean that the other picked incorrectly. The careerist was no better than the housewife, and vice versa. In the end, the fact that each made her decision freely and found happiness meant each lived her own life in the best way possible.

 _But wait, if I've already passed away in this world, does this mean…_

The black-haired woman pressed her hand against the glass window. "They're here…"

"Who?" Sakura got up and joined the woman by the window. Below them, she saw the growing throngs of excited crowds who were all dressed in white. "What's going on?"

"They're here for the inauguration of the next leader of this village, the Ninth Hokage."

"Oh? Sounds exciting! Are you attending?" She noted the similarly-colored garment her daughter was wearing.

"You bet!" The woman pushed the bridge of her glasses up her nose, this time reminding her of Karin. "Grah, I'm starting to get jitters again! Just thinking of the crowd… BRRR!"

Something clicked in her mind. "M-My daughter is the Ninth Hokage?"

"Bingo!" The woman gave her a wink. "I, Uchiha Sarada, have been chosen to succeed the Will of Fire!"

 _Sarada. So that's her name._ Beneath the playful bravado though, she could see the apprehension lurking in her daughter's heart. Those were the same fears that eat her during her most critical presentations and talks. The fear of letting people down. The fear of not meeting expectations. The fear of not being good enough. The fear of dragging everyone else down.

"I'm really, really nervous about this day," continued Sarada, fiddling with her coat. "Somewhere along the way, I guess I ended up calling for you." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I probably have disturbed you while you're living on your next life, huh?"

She bit her lower lip as she imagined her poor daughter worrying alone in this life, about to take a huge responsibility of leading a whole village in her slender, youthful shoulders.

"But anyway, thank you so much for coming for me today, Mama." Sarada's eyes glistened in blissful tears. "I got the chance to see you again, and you're even more beautiful than I recall."

Her heart fluttered, both in pain and in affection. "Likewise." Gently, she pulled the trembling woman into her embrace. "Don't be afraid, Sarada. No leader, as great as she may be, can avoid mistakes or failures. We are designed to be fallible, so that we may learn and do better next time." She lovingly stroked her hair to soothe her. "If you're feeling lost, remember to just go with what your heart and conscience tells you is right."

"But what if it doesn't end up as the right choice?" asked Sarada in a small, choked voice.

"Then keep in mind what a guy named Everett said." The rose-haired woman closed her eyes as she recited a part of her thesis presentation which she had given many times before in front of the most prominent thinkers and scientists in Japan. But this time, she was delivering her piece to the most important audience of her life.

Her daughter from another timeline. Uchiha Sarada, the Ninth Hokage.

"All paths have been taken. Everything that should happen has already happened. This means that in another world, there's another you facing the same dilemma you have now." Her mind drifted back to the Sakura in the picture frame. "The you of that world will always make a choice that is different from the you of this world. So whatever decision you make, there will always be at least one world where you did not let people down.

"If this world doesn't turn out to be that one, then the only thing you can do is to stand by your decision and live with its consequences, good or bad," said Sakura, smiling brightly at her daughter. "And for most people, seeing their leader do that is more than enough."

"Thanks, Mama." A look of immense relief filled Sarada's face. "Everett sounds like a cool guy," murmured the reassured Hokage, now capable of a slight cheeky smile. "Are you dating him in your new life?"

Well, she was almost married to the job, and her job entailed studying Everett, so technically—

"Like _hell_ she would!"

Sakura's mouth dropped open when she saw who barged into the room and uttered such a vehement declaration.

"S-Sasuke-kun…?"

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"So understand this, you beautiful Tokyo man," muttered Shoseki as he led the businessman into the workshop via the back entrance. "This is actually not allowed because Io-sama hates having "non-smiths" into this place, particularly those who come to him without appointments. I'm only doing this to pay back the favor you did for me the last time."

Neji nodded quietly. "I am very grateful to you, Shoseki."

They zigzagged through large anvils, open furnaces, greasy machines, and mess-strewn tables. Despite their distance from the incandescent shower of sparks, the Hyuuga could imagine the almost unbearable heat that swordsmiths had to withstand every day doing their job.

 _So this is what Tenten had to deal with it every day._

The caretaker noticed his intent gaze on the equipment. "Do you know how hot a plate normally is, Tokyo-san?"

"A thousand degrees Celsius?"

"Thirteen hundred, to be exact." A diminutive, balding old man with pointed moustache and silver goatee appeared behind them. "We fold and forge the mass of _tamahagane_ for ten to twenty times. We labor over that night and day. Yet even then, we could only produce three of ten usable blades at a time."

"Io-sama!" The bespectacled assistant immediately bowed courteously towards the mastersmith. Neji immediately followed suit.

The Mukansa warily eyed the tall, elegant male from head to toe. "So this is the man from Tokyo that everyone was talking about? The one who saved your honor in the pub, Shoseki?"

"That is correct, Io-sama."

The aged man looked intrigued. "What would someone like him be doing in my workshop, though?"

"I would like to commission a sword from your workshop."

Io didn't even bat an eyelash. "Everyone does. I keep a long wait list every year."

"I would like it to be made by your apprentice."

Io and Shoseki gaped at him as if he just grew another head.

"You insult me, young man." Despite his several good inches of height above the old man's, the latter still managed to look at him as if he were a mere insect. "The work of my apprentice doesn't come close to the quality of the work I do, in case you're thinking it'll save you money."

"I am prepared to pay as much as I would need to pay if I ask for a sword that you made. However, I intend to buy only something that was crafted by your apprentice." He took out his checkbook and tore off a blank check. "Please feel free to set the price as you desire."

Shoseki looked dumbfounded. "Why would you spend several millions of yen for an apprentice' work? Tenten hasn't even assisted in a swordmaking process from start to finish! Master only had her observe."

His reply was immediate and unhesitant. "Because I want to grant her happiness, no matter at what cost."

Io didn't even give the check a glance. Instead, he faced the strange long-maned guest before him. "Our laws mandate that an apprentice can only be allowed to make his own swords after five years of satisfactory training. As her master who knows the extent of her experience, I refuse to break the law by accepting the commission."

Neji looked down defeatedly.

"But I suppose I can entrust her to craft something else." Io played with his goatee thoughtfully.

"Io-sama!" exclaimed the caretaker, frantic about whatever the old man was cooking up.

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"H-Hold the door, please!" Hyuuga Hinata's long tresses flew behind her as she hurried to reach the elevator before the doors slide to a close. Due to the unexpected boardroom drama, she was held up for an hour. It couldn't be more ill-timed, as she had an appointment with an important funder in forty-five minutes. Every minute was going to be critical if she wanted to get there on time.

She squeezed into the lift in the nick of time. "T-Thank you—"

The passenger who graciously waited for her was Toneri, accompanied as usual by his trusted bodyguards. "You're welcome, Hyuuga Hinata-san."

There was no one else in the elevator except their lot, so she finally sounded off what she had been raring to tell him since the meeting.

"T-Thank you for your help back there, Otsutsuki-san," she began as the elevator rapidly moved down across floors. "I admit that I was initially taken aback by your presence in the meeting. But if it weren't for your reminder regarding the NDA, my Uncles wouldn't have budged."

"For an heiress belonging to society's upper-crust, you sure possess a disgustingly servile demeanor." The male's mouth twitched in amusement. "You thank people too easily. Do you not own even a modicum of entitlement?"

"Well, I—"

"And this is why they see you as an easy prey," he added. "No wonder your father desperately wanted to marry you off in a hurry. If he's really as sickly as everyone says, then who will be left to protect his little girls?"

"I will." Determination was set in the heiress' eyes. "I will protect my sister. I will protect the Hyuuga Corporation and everyone employed by it. I will protect them all, no matter what it takes."

The white-haired male paused, then let out a pleased grunt. "I do think you did well in using the opening I gave you as a leverage. You managed to get all the board members to accept your proposal of not paying themselves for a whole year." He swung his walking cane with one hand. "But do not for one second think that you've heard the last of your relatives. This is precisely why I hoped you fired them all instead."

The elevator stopped upon reaching the ground floor. Toneri and Hinata both stepped out towards the lobby.

"That's true," she agreed softly. "It would be easier for me to just take out all of the difficult people who will stand in my way. But…" Her tresses danced in the breeze as she exited the glass doors. "I want all of them to be part of our business' recovery and eventual resurgence. Otherwise, they'd always be hurting… they'd always be consumed by anger. I want to ease them all now, starting with making them realize that they are a valuable part of our company's success."

He shook his head, both in disbelief and awe. "You are far too gentle for this rat race, Hyuuga Hinata-san."

"And you can be just as kind, Otsutsuki-san." Her family limo stopped right in front of them. The chauffeur quickly stepped out to open the door for his mistress, while the latter offered the tycoon a courteous farewell bow.

"You are mistaken."

Hinata was stopped from stepping into the car by Toneri's cane, which slightly pushed the door to a close. His entire upper body leaned into hers so closely that she could feel her shoulders bumping into his chest. When he spoke, she could actually feel his breath fanning the loose wisps behind her ear.

"I am not, by nature, a kind person, Hinata," he said, his voice dropping to a decibel meant only for her hearing. "I am kind only to the people I like."

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"So how did she take it?" asked Neji when Shoseki returned from the workshop. He was waiting with Io by the curb, eager to hear how things went with Tenten.

Shoseki sighed. "She was thrilled beyond words." The woman's face lit up like a chandelier upon hearing that her master had finally given the green light for her to craft her first ever commission. The excitement never wavered even when he added that it was not going to be a weapon, but a simple letter opener.

" _His trust means more than anything else in the world to me!" gushed the female apprentice, eyes shining in happiness. "My first creation… I can't wait!"_

"A smithing otaku, huh?" remarked Neji dryly.

"Through and through," agreed the mastersmith, chugging down his day's booze. "There are times that I think even _I_ am not that passionate about the craft as that girl is."

As per the Tokyo man's request, the caretaker withheld the fact that it was a specified commission from her acquaintance. Understandable, considering that the fee asked for by Io was a week's supply of lunches and the best bottle of Japanese wine from the pub where Tenten part-timed.

"Was it that zeal of hers that convinced you to take her in?"

The Mukansa gave a chortle. "If she were all zeal and no talent, I would have just easily thrown her away. She would have only been in my way."

"So then..?"

"Let me tell you a little story." The old man wiped the _sake_ that had dribbled down his chin. "Once there was a girl who got lost in the woods. She came across a wild boar and was about to be attacked when a man suddenly appeared and saved her using a _kunai_."

"So you were moved by Tenten's story of being saved by a weapon?"

"Are you kidding?" Io's eyes narrowed. "If that's my criteria, then I would have accepted nearly everyone who came to me. Everyone gets saved by a weapon at some point in their lives!"

 _That's true,_ admitted the younger man grudgingly to himself.

"Anyway," Io went on to narrate, "asked by the awestruck girl by how he was able to take on the boar in one swipe, the mystery man told her that it was because the weapon he used was made for him by a weapon goddess."

 _A weapon goddess, huh?_

"Impressed, the little girl declared that she, too, was going to become a weapon goddess." The mastersmith let out a hearty laugh. "And so she came to me, asking me to turn her into one!"

"... that's all?"

"What other reasons does one need?" Io asked back incredulously. "I am a very old man who has seen and made all the weapons I wanted to make. I'm just waiting for the day I finally take my last breath. Heavens forbid that I use up my remaining time to gamble off at the chance to make a lasting legacy."

Neji's forehead creased. "A lasting legacy?"

"That's right," nodded the Mukansa solemnly, catching even the Hyuuga off-guard. "I took Tenten in to see if I can become known in history as the only mortal in this world… who created a goddess."

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 _Did Sasuke-kun run a marathon to get here?_ The male researcher from her world seemed to be a bit out of breath, judging from how his chest was rapidly moving up and down

Behind him was the same dark hallway that Sakura recalled, confirming her suspicion that she, indeed, was pulled into Everett's web. How and why, she didn't know yet. She was about to ask him when Sarada untangled herself from her mother's embrace and stepped towards her father, looking a bit dazed.

"Y-You're here, too," stammered their daughter, utter disbelief in her face.

He slowly drew towards her. "I heard your voice, so I rushed here to find you."

 _~"... But knowing his heart, I'm sure he'll come rushing back to you when you call for him. So please, keep even a tiny space in your heart for him."~_

"I-I…" Raw emotion crossed Sarada' face. "I only called you back so I can shove it to your face that Mama and I ended up fine without you!" she cried, her voice clearly depicting how she was hurting.

 _Sarada…_ Sakura could only watch as her daughter explode in anger.

"LOOK!" commanded the bespectacled woman, gesturing desperately to her lily-white Hokage coat. "I became someone you couldn't be, even with all your powers and even after you abandoned your family!"

He continued to approach her wordlessly.

"Stay back!" snapped Sarada, stomping her feet in ire. "You may not remember it anymore because you're living another life now, but in this world, you were—"

"... a horrible man," Sasuke finished for her, halting right in front of the now teary-eyed woman. "Unfit to be your father, and unfit to be your mother's husband."

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" growled his sobbing daughter, who in this world's door looked around his and Sakura's age.

"... you're definitely your mother's daughter," he remarked, almost with a sigh.

"HEEEEEY!" barked Sakura from the background.

Sasuke gazed ruefully at his daughter. "The me of this world made a lot of terrible decisions, and that entailed living with harsh consequences. But no doubt, to your father, the harshest is not being able to stay with you and your mother."

"You don't know that!"

He shook his head. "I've been walking in the darkness and opening so many doors for god knows how long, and every time, all the Uchiha Sasukes I've met are constantly searching for one and only one thing."

Sarada let out an audible gasp as she felt her father's hand on her head. "A world where he could be with you and Sakura."

 _Mama said that Papa travels through Kaguya's dimensions to patrol for potential dangers, like the Konoha Military Police Force that protects our village,_ thought the bespectacled woman, eyes wide. _But if what he is saying is true, then this is not just Papa doing his penance, but him chasing after our family in another world?_

Despite not hearing his daughter's response, Sasuke continued to speak tenderly. "I'm so glad I've gotten the chance to meet you like this, Sarada. This is all my other selves could only hope for at best."

Panic flashed in Sarada's eyes when she felt the weight of her father's hand on her head gradually disappear. "P-Papa—"

Sakura, too, could feel herself getting lighter as her skin gradually turned translucent. Her scared eyes turned to the male, which the latter acknowledged by offering her his hand. She took it without hesitation, and he used their entwined hands to pull her into his embrace.

"EH?!" Sarada didn't know where to cast her embarrassed eyes. Her father had never been the demonstrative type, so she felt mortified to see her parents' intimacy all of a sudden.

Meanwhile, Sakura was inconsolable, her face aflame. "S-Sasuke-kun, you idiot! Are you high or something?! It was Orochimaru's doing, wasn't it? I *knew* there was something sinister about that special snake potion of his!"

With his remaining strength, he gathered his daughter into his and Sakura's embrace. "I doubt you'll remember, but once upon a time, your voice reached me across the webs of time. And I wanted you to know that it saved me."

His eyes softened. "Thank you for being my daughter, Sarada. I can't wait to meet you again someday in my world."

"Papa, you jerk! Don't disappear on me again, please!" begged Sarada, frantically embracing her parents as tightly as she could. "Please don't leave me alone, Papa, Mama! Please, please, please—"

"You will never be alone." Sakura gently rapped her knuckle against the crying woman's chest. "We'll always be in there, won't we? We'll always be watching over you, Hokage-sama!"

Sasuke leaned over and fondly flicked his finger against her forehead. The feathery touch sent currents of warmth all throughout her, calming even her agitated heart. "See you next time." His voice now suddenly sounded so faraway.

 _Papa... Mama..._ Sarada looked up to her parents, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you!"

But they were already gone. In their place she found her bodyguard Uzumaki Boruto, frozen in mid-act of opening the door and was now gaping at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"U-Uh…" She self-consciously dried the tears from her eyes. "Y-Yeah, I'll be right there. Sorry."

The sight of her tears seemed to have broken whatever trance he was in. He rushed towards her, grabbed her shoulders, and shook her hard. "Stop crying, stop crying! Sensei made me do a friggin' blood promise not to EVER let you cry!" His force was enough to send her eyes spinning in dizzying circles. "Do you really want me to be beaten up by your dad all the way from whatever dimension he is in now?! And do you want my old man to jump into the fray just for shit and giggles? Coz' he'll do that, that bastard!"

"I GOT IT ALREADY!" The Ninth landed a resounding punch on her bodyguard's head. "Geez," she muttered, patting her hair down and smoothing her coat. "Do I look okay?" she asked anxiously.

Boruto eyed her long, slightly disheveled dark tresses and beautifully tear-stricken face and felt something within him ache. Gulping inwardly, he turned his back on her to hide his flushed face and marched away as he spoke. "Like always, Stuuuupid."

"WHO'S STUPID NOW?!" Another sound of a knockout punch reverberated in the whole Hokage office, to everyone's amusement.

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"Good grief." Sai crumpled the note he had just finished reading. It was delivered to him by a little boy who wandered into the village crowd that Yamanaka Ino was serving for today's medical mission. "What killjoys, really."

"Who's the killjoy?" asked Ino, joining him on the grassy patch of land. It seemed she had finished her clinic for the day, and she was now ready to kick off her hiking boots to get her well-deserved rest.

"Not anyone of consequence," he smoothly replied, making the note vanish discreetly from his hand. "How did the checkups go? Did you receive a bunch of new marriage proposals from your patients today? I'm keeping a running tally for a bet with your father, so be sure to keep me in the loop!"

But his lovely mistress, sharp as ever, noted the less-than-carefree expression in his eyes. "Is there something wrong, Sai?"

"Whatever made you say that, Mistress?" he asked back, plastering an impeccable smile on his face.

Ino glanced down at the blades of grass around them and started to pull on them absent-mindedly one by one. "You know," she began slowly, "you're the weirdest weirdo I've ever known..."

"You mean there's such thing as a normal weirdo?"

A pair of divine turquoise eyes gave him a majestically withering look. "That's not the point."

"Forgive me."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "What I'm trying to say is, pretty much nothing else you'll say or do will surprise me anymore. So if there's something that's bothering you, I hope you'll let me know."

He was about to give her another of his carefree-but-dismissive quips when her hand shot up. He halted, thinking it was one of her usual signals for him to shut the hell up. But then Ino spoke, as if making a solemn oath.

"No matter what stupid thing you say or do, I promise I'll always be on your side," she vowed with heart-stopping earnestness. "I might trashtalk you a bit, I guess, but at the end of the day, I'll be your most reliable ally." She punctuated her promise with a heartfelt smile. "For always."

He couldn't trust himself to speak. Never in his whole life had he been a recipient of such warm, supportive words. And for them to be uttered by the only woman that ever mattered to him...

"My goodness." He grinned impishly at her. "When you say things like that to me, Sensei, I inevitably end up falling for you more and more."

He watched with profound delight as his mistress turned an adorable shade of red. "I-I was being serious back there, you know!" she cried.

"So am I," he beamed.

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" She threw the shredded grass blades to his face as he doubled over, laughing.

The minutes went on like this, with her quietly steaming in embarrassment and her driver cracking up in glee. Finally, she felt her bodyguard collapse against the grassy ground, arms folded behind his head like a pillow.

"I'll never meet anyone else like you, for sure," he murmured. "Nor would I want to meet one anyway. You suffice."

She couldn't suppress a smile at his words. "Yeah. Imagine if you had to deal with two troublesome women."

"That'll be tragic."

"Yep."

"But kinda hot, too."

In response, she showered more glass blades directly on his face, which sent him in a fit of cough and wheezes. Satisfied, she leaned back slightly and shut her eyes tight, letting the mild gust of wind play with the wisps of her hair that had gone loose.

"Yamanaka-sensei?" he called after a while.

"Hmm?"

"It's getting dark now. I think we're the only ones around." He gestured to the almost empty lot.

"Let's stay for a bit more." She was determined to relish the cool, late afternoon breeze and the beautiful sunset before officially calling it a day.

"Yamanaka-sensei?"

"What now?" She feigned annoyance in her tone.

"I'm going to kiss you."

Ino felt her heart jump to her throat. "Stupid! Don't kid like—" She whirled to face him, but nearly reeled back when she found herself just inches away from his face. He had already propped himself up to a sitting position, his jet-black eyes set firmly on her countenance.

After offering her a tender smile, Sai wordlessly reached out to cup her face and kissed her.

By reflex, her eyelids fluttered to a close as she felt his warmth press on her lips-at first, tentatively, then decisively. It was as if a great dam that controlled his urges within him broke, and now he was frolicking in her taste as if there was no tomorrow. With his every groan and her every sigh, she could feel it all— longing, arousal, bliss, hope.

And, if it wasn't too much of her to expect, maybe even love.

She never got to ask him, though. When their lips parted, he planted one more lingering kiss on her still-moist lips before gently helping her up her feet. His face was the same ole jokester Sai as he drove her back to her father's mansion and babbled about his amusing observations of the day.

It was too awkward to discuss what happened in that same evening, so she struggled to get a pitiful amount of sleep and resolved to ask him about it the next morning.

The next day, Inoichi took her aside and informed her that Sai had left their villa. Save for all of his paychecks that he returned untouched, there was no sign that a man named Sai once stayed with them.

All his personal information had been wiped from the government database. Her father's friend who recommended Sai to them kept insisting he knew nothing. Photos, contracts, and other documents mentioning him even in passing had all mysteriously disappeared.

At that point, Ino realized two things.

One, Sai was an irresponsible employee for going AWOL. And two, her heart got broken. Again.

 _Why don't I ever learn?_

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" _Hey Kakashi, we should be crossing paths soon at the next exit, right?"_

" _Yeah. Five minutes, tops."_

" _Alright. I want to conserve my battery, so I'm turning off my phone."_

" _Don't you bring travel chargers or something?"_

" _I forgot, sorry."_

 _How highly unusual that was for Nohara Rin, queen of efficiency and preparation._

" _Could you check for it later? Should be near the bonsai."_

" _Fine."_

" _Then…" A sigh that sounded almost forlorn reached his ears. "Bye, Kakashi. Take care."_

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Hatake Kakashi tossed several flash drives— now formatted after he made his own copy— in front of his father's grave. These were the items he found in the location that Rin specified minutes before the accident.

As expected of her talent in organization and data compiling, she created a comprehensive and well-detailed knowledge base of everything they knew about Danzo and Root.

Moreover, she created an appendix listing previous assassination threats on the current emperor of Japan. She noted Princess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the former Princess Regent and sister of the emperor. Willingly, she married a commoner for love, changed her family registry, and inherited the Ōtsutsuki family name. But she never forgave the system of the imperial royal family that didn't recognize her children and grandchildren as rightful heirs to the throne, despite the emperor failing to produce proper heirs with the empress.

Presently, the most prominent member of her clan was the affluent business prodigy, Toneri Otsutsuki. He notably avoided the political limelight, but with the sudden announcement of Namikaze Minato as heir to the throne, Councillor Danzo was said to be actively courting the grandson of the Princess.

"Count on Rin to not miss even the little details like this," he thought, not without pride. Things were coming to a full circle, and the end of their trio's hard work was within reach...

 _Why did she have to pay the price?_

All night and day, he did nothing but imagine what was running in his childhood friend's mind to suddenly do a series of inexplicable decisions. Turn off the GPS? End the phone call, her only live link to the person who was closest to come to her rescue? Designate a contingency task to him as if she could foresee the need?

 _Was the situation that dire? Were you afraid that you'd drag me to your situation? Didn't you think I'd move heaven and earth to save you?_

"DAMN IT! What a despicable stunt for that woman to pull." He furiously slammed his fist on his father's gravestone. "She's just like you."

He could imagine his meek, laidback father nodding along.

And the worst part of it all was that Obito was right— he was unable to grieve for Rin. Unlike what Obito thought though, it wasn't because he didn't care. In fact, it was because he cared for Rin too much that he could not accept her fate.

Which was why on top of his espionage and protection duties to Minato-sensei and his family, he was spending all his free time and resources on hunting down Kinoe. He knew that it was the only way he could obtain the closure his foolish heart craved.

He got up and bowed to his father. "I'm off."

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"Do you want something?"

The glacial indifference in the usually warm Obito startled Uzumaki Naruto, but the latter proceeded to enter the dimly-lit bedroom of his lifelong buddy and driver.

"I heard you were out all night and today, too," began the blond hesitantly. "You have to think about your health, too, you know."

"Thanks." The word was as empty and hollow as Obito's blank stare.

Naruto sank down beside him, eyes pensive. "Mom's been crying since yesterday, especially when the Imperial Household Agency told her that no funeral will be held so as not to agitate the people. Dad's convincing them right now to reverse their decision."

Obito clenched his fists. "That even Rin's funeral had to be part of this shitty game politicians play…"

"I'm sorry, Obito," murmured Naruto sadly. "We are all sorry for not being able to protect her. But we promise you, we'll deliver her justice."

"I don't need justice. I just want her back alive." Obito got up and left the younger male without saying goodbye. He continued walking down the hallway, feeling conflicted at remaining in the place that had taken the life of his beloved.

His first instinct was to file his resignation and leave this goddamned place. But every time, he remembered Rin's plea: he had to play his role till the end, until Namikaze Minato had been crowned the emperor. Her words were the last remaining string binding him to the palace.

He was crossing the shadier part of the courtyard when he felt the presence of two strangers behind him. They seemed to be tracking him specifically, based on the distance.

A sharp exhale shot out of him. "I'm NOT in a good mood, so if I were you, I'd just show my face already."

Not a minute had gone by when a pair of men (clad in all-black and all-white respectively) materialized beside him. "Greetings, Uchiha Obito," the black-clad man bade, giving him a stiff bow.

"We're honored to meet you, Obito-sama." The white-clad man's demeanor, on the other hand, seemed friendlier and more relaxed.

"Who are you?" snarled Obito. As head of the palace security, he took pride in knowing the names and faces of each and every authorized employee of the palace. These faces weren't familiar at all.

"Call us Zetsu," both answered in unison.

"Even if you're two different people?!" Obito asked, dumbfounded.

"Whether we're one or two or more, it doesn't matter, Obito-sama," replied the white-dressed Zetsu.

"We exist merely to execute our client's will," added the black-dressed Zetsu. "And you are the only one who can do this."

Obito crossed his arms. "Look, I don't know who your client is, but I do know that I don't care about him. I have my own problems to deal with."

"Like the death of Nohara Rin?"

The Uchiha froze in his tracks. No one knew about _that_ — the Imperial Household Agency had done a yeoman's job in suppressing the news about it. And if this person wasn't from the imperial palace and yet knew about her death…

"Who is your client?" he asked, his voice lowering dangerously.

"You must have heard of him before." The white-clad Zetsu flashed a humorless smile. "His name is Uchiha Madara."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

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	10. Chapter 10

Lip biting. Sensual, come-hither looks. Showcases of skin in varying degrees of modesty. Shoseki noticed these all, but alas, they weren't for him. It was for the man seated beside him, patiently waiting on the street curb while reading on his tablet.

But to Hyuuga Neji, these women might as well have been trees in the backdrop. His eyes were focused on news articles which appeared to be in English, accompanied by fancy graphs and arrows and numbers.

The only time his gaze moved away from the screen was to check on his wristwatch, waiting for the arms on its analog face to strike 5. No such luck— it was still a full three hours before the end of her shift.

Shoseki was torn between grudging admiration and incredulity at his acquaintance's lack of affectation for anything else but the literature before him. One of his fangirls had earlier come up to him and tried to start a conversation— his polite yet cool disinterest awkwardly ended the conversation in two turns.

Curiously, the Shimanto native turned to the oblivious fellow. "Hey, are you aware that the woman you talked to earlier was the Mayor's only daughter?"

"I see."

"And she' seems to have the hots for you."

"I am honored." The exasperatingly good-looking man from Tokyo sounded anything but _that_.

"Do you see that tall lady by the light post?" continued Shoseki, pointing towards the statuesque raven-haired woman wearing clothes that seemed to have been made for petite women in mind.

"Mmm-hmm."

"She's been the council muse and tourism board beauty for the past few years, and word on the street is— YOU'RE NOT EVEN LOOKING!" Outraged, the male leaped to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at Neji. "Do you have anything against our town's lasses? What's wrong with you?! What makes those… those scattered dots so interesting anyway? Geez!"

Neji's forehead scrunched. "Ah, this? The P/E ratio and equities trends intrigue me because it proves that even unpredictable valuations can become reliable when viewed over a longer time horizon. It helps me refine my investing strategy."

"...That was a rhetorical question but what the heck." A facepalming Shoseki collapsed beside the male, who had returned to his stupid charts again. "What a waste of perfectly good genes. Why do the deities bestow these blessings to people who cannot appreciate their divine generosity anyway?"

A few minutes of glum silence ensued before Shoseki spoke up again. "Oh, Tenten's here."

"She is?" Immediately, Neji looked up with alert eyes and put his device away. "Where?"

The bespectacled boy gaped at him, mouth hung wide open for a second or two, before sighing and reaching over to knock on the Hyuuga's temple. "Right here."

"Huh?"

"Admit it, she's taken over your brain bits," posited Shoseki as he shrank back to his seat. "How else would you have been watching the clock the whole time and yet forget that it's only three in the afternoon?"

"OH." Neji cleared his throat self-consciously. "I… I thought she left work early. Well then." He brought out the tablet again and returned to the articles he was viewing.

Snickering, Shoseki pushed the bridges of his glasses back up his nose. "I take it back, Kami-sama. I may not be an _ikemen_ like this guy, but at least I'm not slow on the uptake."

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 _For nairl-daeris, who I hope will still read this after eight long months_

* * *

After nearly two hours of sharing a wordless car ride, Uchiha Obito was led by the Zetsu pair to a ramshackle cabin at the edge of the densely-covered Aokigahara Forest— the famed suicide forest located at the base of the sacred Mount Fuji itself.

"After you, Obito-sama." The White Zetsu held the creaking door open for him.

Normally, Obito would have never permitted himself to be in a vulnerable spot where his attackers can make an attempt at him from behind. But right now, he was past the point of caring. Losing Rin robbed him of any impetus for self-preservation.

The minute he stepped in, a decrepit smell wafted into his nostrils. The interior was barely visible in the inky darkness of the room, even after his eyes had adjusted to the surroundings. Meanwhile, the Zetsu pair seemed to have no trouble navigating the darkness, as they grabbed and lit a lamp with consummate ease.

The tiny light source soon revealed a bed in the corner, where an old man was seated upright. He seemed to have been watching them silently the moment they stepped into the shack. The idea of having been put under this stranger's lens like some form of specimen made Obito's palms sweat nervously.

"Come closer." The soft croak that beckoned him reeked of otherworldly eeriness, as if haunting him from the ancient past. "Let me look at you."

He received a gentle push from the White Zetsu, sending him to the old man's bedside. He tried not to blink as the old man's eyes rove around him, scrutinizing him closely, his eyes aglow in satisfaction.

"You… I've been waiting for you for a long time." The age lines etched on his face deepened. "The one to inherit my will."

Obito drew back, unnerved by the intensity on the old man's face. "Listen here, old man. I will inherit nobody's will! I only came here to see with my own eyes who'd dare make a fool of me." His eyes blazed in contempt. "Uchiha Madara has been dead for a hundred and fifty years!"

"Ah, has it only been that long?" Rather than the panic he expected to see in the old man's face, it was disappointment which filled the old man's raggedly bony face. "Not enough. It was not long enough…"

Beads of sweat formed on his head. _Oi, oi. This old man can't mean to tell me that he really is Uchiha Madara._

Said to be the strongest and most trusted adviser of the last shogun of Japan, the renowned Uchiha supposedly died on the 3rd day of the 1st month in the fourth year of Keiō era, at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi. No one saw it coming— his shocking betrayal and failed assassination of Tokugawa Yoshinobu at the Satsuma and Chōshū-overrun Kyoto.

 _A hundred and fifty years ago..._

Prior to this moment, he would have quickly dismissed this situation as an impossibility. Yet looking at the elder before him and seeing the measured composure, loftiness, and boredom that could only be ascribed to a man who had seen far too much ugliness in his extended lifetime…

… suddenly, he was not so sure of the boundaries of plausibility anymore.

"Even with the White Snake's body modifications, it seems our client's body has reached its absolute limit." White Zetsu clicked his tongue in pity.

The aged man looked at his withered appearance in disgust. "What a useless shell." He then turned his eyes greedily back at the youthful male. "But you… you have so many years ahead of you. You shall inherit my will, Uchiha Obito, and continue my dream."

For the life of him, Obito could not protest anymore this time. "W-What dream?"

Madara's eyes glistened. "To restore the purity of this nation." He seemed like he wanted to add more, but just as he was about to do so, he burst into a fit of painful coughs. Blood trickled down his mouth

As White Zetsu busied himself with tending after the sickly man, Obito quietly slipped out of the shack.

"Shall I have him followed?" asked the white-clad man as he helped Madara lie back down.

To which, the man croaked, "No need. He is a lost man— he has nowhere else to go. He will come back... to me."

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Danzo Shimura tapped his chin with a finger, humming to himself. Before him was a large chessboard that nearly covered the entire table. Chess pieces made of colored glass were scattered in mid-battle. The white side had eight more pieces than the black one, but it didn't bother him. Casualties to him were inevitable and insignificant, compared to the bigger stakes of winning.

Besides, he still had a trick up his sleeve. Just because he was playing alone and against himself doesn't mean he would be less competitive.

Behind him, one of his personal bodyguards suddenly stiffened. A second later, the highly-trained guard dropped unconsciously to the floor.

The other bodyguard raised his gun in alarm, but the councillor spoke.

"At ease." The politician barely raised his eyes from the chessboard on his table. "That man is my guest."

The guard didn't look too appeased by the fact that the intruder was someone known to his boss. "But Councillor—"

"The quality of the henchmen you're recruiting has gone shockingly down, Councillor Danzo." The man in the shadows made a _tsk-ing_ sound.

"I agree. That is exactly why I want soldiers like you back," replied the older male as the latter stepped into the light. "Sai."

"Councillor." His former top agent tipped an invisible hat towards him. "I was hoping back then that our next meeting would be at your funeral, but it seems that your sick and twisted personality has managed to successfully repel even the Grim Reaper."

The government official chuckled. "Basing from those hateful words, I trust my note has reached you without problems."

"Yes. You mentioned something about a favor I must grant you at all costs." Sai drew closer to him. "The last time we chatted, you said that was the last and that you want me to disappear from the face of the earth."

"Indeed. But I think an aging old man is entitled to little whims like changing his mind," A wily smile formed on his face. "Don't you agree?"

"And this is why I hate dealing with politicians. There's no end to these so-called little whims of you scums." Sai said these all with a honeyed smile.

"As luck would have it, your next assignment is a scum like me." He tossed one of the captured black pieces— a knight— over his shoulder. "Uzumaki Kushina. I've tried to keep her alive for as long as I could, but she's getting too… _unwieldy_ nowadays."

He thought that the death of Nohara Rin would take the fight out of the woman. Yet after a day of seemingly inconsolable grief, the Red-Hot Habanero returned to her office with renewed determination and vigor.

At her recent interview with the imperial palace press, the Princess Regent did not comment about gossips regarding a death among her staff. She did mention, however, that her team unearthed a curious alliance between an important member of the House of Councillors and a foreign nation. She didn't say it explicitly, but she cleverly allowed the thought to hang in the press members' thoughts and permeate into their editorial pieces.

Treason.

"For her to drive your back against the wall so much that you'd panic and have her taken away prematurely from your game board..." The spy smirked. "It seems only Root is holding you up nowadays."

"Not in the slightest." Danzo moved another white piece forward.

"Shall we prove how weak you are without your toy soldiers?" With one quick swish of his arm, a blade hit the other bodyguard, sending him to the ground bleeding and unconscious.

"Heh. I see that becoming a rich brat's babysitter hasn't dulled your skills as much as I feared." The old man laced his fingers under his chin. "Yet for all your strength, you are actually the easiest piece to deal with."

"That's right," said the politician as Sai's gaze fell on the lone piece that stood squares away from the rest. "Because you insist on doing things on your own, you've made yourself into an isolated pawn. With nothing to protect you, you can't protect anything else either."

"I, on the other hand, may be weak, but as the king and the most important figure in this game, I surround myself with pieces to protect me and sacrifice for me." He smirked at the spy. "Therein lies our difference. And that's why you can never touch me, boy."

"Rest assured I hold no fervent desire to touch you at any point in time, old man. Besides..." Sai cocked a gun at the back of the man's head. "You are no king. And you'll never be one except in your mind's twisted little world."

Danzo remained unfazed. "Oh, do be careful with that, my boy! Might I remind you that the minute you pull that trigger, the girl's father will die? You don't want to see the little princess left alone in this world again, do you?"

The agent's eyes glinted for a second, but just as quickly, they dulled back into hollow affability. "Good lord, you certainly make for a campy villain, Councillor. You don't need to hold anyone hostage so I'd accept the job. Even the most desperate of HR personnel don't do that… yet. Maybe."

"Like I said in my note, it's my insurance... to make sure my favorite talent does not betray me." The elder broke into a chortle."I can easily go directly to the girl and crush her, you know? Yet I chose to spare her life."

"Because you think that your hold on her will keep me leashed to you for as long as possible?"

"Indeed. I would not have maximized her utility if I did away with her so soon," agreed the councillor breezily, as if they were merely discussing an appliance's shelf life.

Sai let out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh dear. This is cringe-worthy soap opera-level of drama even for you, Councillor! And I can't— how does my mistress oh-so-elegantly put it?— _I can't even_." He locked gazes with the man before him. "Can't we just not make this thing between the two of us and leave that nice family alone?"

"Afraid not." Danzo made a gesture of waving an imaginary rod with a bait. "She's the carrot to my favorite errand horse, so she, along with the people she loves, will continue to live as long as the horse continues to work satisfactorily for its master."

"Man, you're a stubborn old oaf. _So_ not cute."

"See, this is exactly why I wanted my soldiers to do away with unnecessary distractions like feelings." The politician got up, squarely facing the gun muzzle that was still aimed at him. "It complicates things, doesn't it?"

Despite receiving no answer, Danzo continued to speak. "If not for her, then you could have easily shot me before I would have even opened my mouth. Then you would have earned your lifelong dream of freedom at last." The quiet, aged voice barely concealed the malice in it. "Do you understand? She's nothing but a burden to you... _just like your brother_."

The politician watched in delight as the former Root member struggled valiantly to keep the impassive expression on his face, but ultimately fail to conceal it in his eyes.

Ah. The Yamanaka spoiled brat had certainly done a number on one of his best-skilled pawns.

"I don't really understand the need to dig up ancient history, but fine, my body's all yours, Councillor." Sai finally put his gun down. "Do what you will, but please be gentle."

Danzo cocked his head back and roared in laughter. "I truly miss that impertinence of yours, Sai. Welcome back to the Root."

"Oh, don't bother with the welcome party on my account, Councillor. I'm sure you're super darn busy, what with all the scheming and plotting against the imperial royal family." The dark pool of eyes grew sharp. "But I do need you to call off your hounds that are trailing the Yamanaka family."

"Certainly, certainly, my boy! I'll give them a call today! No, I'll do it right now." Without even giving a glance at his bodyguards' bodies on the floor, the statesman headed for the door. "It'll be a shame if anything happens to that feisty little thing of loveliness. What if she gets a little fussy? What if she—"

"Councillor."

"Hmm?" The elder didn't turn his way either, but he troubled himself to pause.

"The moment you so much as harm a _hair_ on the mistress and her family's heads, I'll make you pay." Sai's voice was suddenly low, somber, and dangerous. Gone was the comical facade; it was a cornered wild beast promising to pounce and shred his enemy to pieces should he be careless enough to commit one little misstep. "I swear I'll hunt you down, Danzo. And not even the devil can hide you away from me."

The old man's only response was a gleeful hum as he finally exited the room and triumphantly shut the door behind him.

The brief silence was broken by the wounded bodyguard at Sai's feet. "You… are an idiot."

"That I am," agreed Sai, ruffling his own hair with a weary sigh. "Negotiations unsuccessful. Commencing Plan B: Think of a Plan C."

"A-And… you were doing so well, too…. Why did'ya… have to break… your character?"

"Rude. If you've been awake long enough to secretly listen in to our conversion like a suspecting mommy, then you should radio for first-aid right now before you tragically bleed to death together like a _fujoshi's_ dream Romeo and Julius."

The man stared at him as if he grew another head.

"Sorry. My mistress has this most adorable thing for 2D men with an enormous surplus of heaving and blushing … uh, you know what? I doubt this is the last thing you want to hear as you lay dying so…" He tossed a pack of tissues on the floor. "Here."

"W-What…"

"Wet wipes. Proven and tested in a recent medical emergency by Japan's prettiest doctor." Sai grinned sweetly. "But don't get any ideas, boys. She's spoken for."

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"So I heard you had quite the board meeting."

Hyuuga Hinata lifted her eyes from the term sheets she had been reviewing for the past few hours and was surprised to see her father in front of her. Hastily, she got up and bowed reverently at him. "Good afternoon, Father."

In response, the clan head gestured for her to take her seat as he did the same. He then continued, "You managed to win them over to your side— just as what I asked of you when I agreed to let you take over a number of my duties." It was one of the rare times she recalled he conversed with her pleasantly, almost genial even.

She kept her head hung humbly. "I am fortunate to have the support of my relatives who have had proven experience in the industry. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from them so I can properly lead the company—"

"You don't need to." Hyuuga Hiashi's speech abruptly cut hers. "As I've told you before, this is all a temporary setup. The end goal remains to be marrying you to someone who will lead our company."

Hinata bit her lip but said nothing.

Save for some funding she raised, she had no solid achievements in the company to speak of. Money would not impress her father. She had to quantify her worth in his eyes through execution— whether it be completing their dream upgrade or expansion of their product lines.

Hiashi eyed his daughter intently. "I heard that Otsutsuki Toneri was in the boardroom as well."

 _Father certainly has many ears planted on the ground._ Even in his physical absence, the man was still on top of what's happening in the company.

"Yes, Father," she answered politely. "He was invited by the rest of the board as a prospective new member." It was a sanitized version of what transpired, but the real issue was water under the bridge and she intended to keep things that way.

He nodded slowly, then asked point-blank, "Is the young man courting you?"

Hinata felt herself practically turn red from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, especially when she recalled her last conversation by the car with Toneri. "F-Father, I…"

"Because if he is, then I have no qualms about it," said the patriarch approvingly. "He comes from a good family and has excellent business acumen. He is the best person to lead our company to greater heights."

She was growing uneasy over the direction of the conversation. "I-I'm most certain he is, Father. B-But at the moment, I would really like to focus on our company—"

"Nonsense," said Hiashi dismissively. "When you get married to him, he will take care of the company. All you need to do is become his support, nothing less and nothing more."

Panic rose within her when she finally heard him say it. "F-Father, I feel it's too early to consider marriage at this time."

Her father, unused to protests from his usually meek eldest child, turned grim. "No, it is not. I only have a few years ahead, and succession planning takes time. The company and our employees need to be reassured that we are looking ahead to a future with a strong, reliable leader at its helm."

"I…" She swallowed a bit, then resolutely looked up and met her father's gaze directly. "I can be that strong, reliable leader for our company, Father. Even without a husband by my side."

For a moment, the old man could only gape at her disbelievingly. Then he laughed— a bitter, mocking sound that echoed through her heart.

"So you rallied a few investors to your side," he spoke sharply. "That doesn't mean you can suddenly run a company as huge and established as ours. Only distance can prove a horse's strength."

"Father, I acknowledge my inexperience," she answered softly. "I have so much to learn. But I am willing to pour my heart and soul into becoming the leader that our business needs me to be!"

"If only good intentions are enough to produce good results." Hiashi got up, signaling the end of the conversation. "My decision is final— I will reach out to Otsutsuki Toneri and arrange for a marriage meeting."

"F-Father!" Hinata's face turned crestfallen as her father left the room without so much a glance.

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"Purity… of this nation…"

Uchiha Obito sat on the rundown porch of the shack as he recalled what his relatives had to say about their supposedly deceased ancestor who remained the clan's most polarizing source of pride.

Uchiha Madara was born in the era when Japan's agricultural economy and traditional arts flourished. Growing up under the rigorous _bushido_ code and learning the best swordsmanship under the tutelage of the Shogun's best men, Madara dreamed of maintaining the isolationist, societal status quo that he believed had preserved the unspoiled beauty of his nation. In turn, he was touted by the _bakufu_ as the strongest vassal of the Tokugawa family.

 _However…_

Cracks began to form on the lens he viewed the world with when the shogunate exposed its weaknesses to the foreign forces, humiliating the Emperor with compromises that allowed foreigners to disrupt trade, take residences in the nation's biggest centers, and enjoy exemption from Japanese laws.

 _Uchiha Madara hated the Westerners, but he hated the shogunate more for failing to carry out the imperial will._ Their clan elders recounted how Madara bitterly fought for the national seclusion policy of the country but to no avail. Families close to the Tokugawa worried about his loyalties potentially shifting in the name of his personal convictions, so they tried to send assassins his way. But no one had ever come back alive from these attempts.

Then at the Boshin War, he finally made his statement. He attempted to kill the last shogun, but was stopped by the person he least expected.

His childhood friend Hashirama Senju, a laidback scholar who would eventually become an instrumental part of the Meiji Restoration and modernization of Japan.

Meanwhile, no one had ever seen or heard of Madara again… _till now._

The Uchiha sensed the presence of two people from behind immediately and turned to them. "Has the old man finally kicked the bucket?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Obito-sama, but his remaining lung is still functioning at 30% capacity."

"Remaining lung?!"

"His other lung had to be removed fifty years ago due to cancer."

"WHAT?!"

Black Zetsu let out a grunt. "Told him to put away the hookah, but the old man was too addicted to it."

"He eventually did, didn't he?" his partner reminded him. "But then, vaping was invented and he got into that next. He thought it was a healthier alternative— said it was just juice."

"Then he got lung cancer. _Again_." The black-clad man snorted derisively. "And the White Snake said his lung had been doing such a good job expanding and compensating for the lost lung, too!"

Obito raised a palm up. "So, that geezer you claim to be Uchiha Madara who's supposed to have died over a century ago but literally just coughed old man blood spit on me minutes ago and is apparently existing with only one lung in dangerously low capacity because of vaping… well, _he's still alive_?"

"Indeed," nodded White Zetsu. "Our client also asks for your understanding regarding the unhygienic accident earlier. After being bedridden for so long and suddenly doing all these hasty movements without waiting for his blood to rebalance, coughing blood and fainting are its unfortunate consequences."

"That isn't really the issue here, but hell, I'm out." Obito headed for the car. "No way will I want to get mixed up with all this shit."

"OI!" The black-clad Zetsu reached for his weapon but his partner stopped him. Instead, the latter called out, "Obito-sama, our client's will is to bring down the blue-eyed emperor and his family."

The spiky-haired man froze dead in his tracks.

"We're not mistaken in thinking that there may be… _convergences_ in your plans and ours, are we?" the said Zetsu pressed.

An intense shot of anger rose in Obito as he spun around to face them. "You're insane! Madara and I are different. I don't care about politics! I don't give a damn who's crowned next emperor!"

"But you care about finding _her_ killers, right?" interrupted the Black Zetsu.

That was a direct hit. A tight pain coiled at the pits of his stomach and throbbed all over him, threatening to devour him whole.

"Nohara Rin's killers," continued the dark Zetsu mercilessly, "are in the imperial royal family. If not for them, she didn't have to die, Obito"

 _Of course, I know that._ And painfully too well, too. How many times had that unpleasant thought dawned on him?

But each time he struggled to push it to the farthest back of his mind. He—who was beholden to now-hazy happy memories he shared with Minato-sensei, Kushina, Naruto, Kakashi, and Rin—would be a scum to entertain such notion even for a second.

And Rin…

Rin's dearest wish.

The promise Rin gave her life for.

He shut his eyes tight, remembering how her brown eyes would shine in hope every time she spoke of her envisioned future.

Those eyes he loved won't shine for anyone and anything anymore.

"Our client wants to set things right again," said the pale-skinned Zetsu, recognizing the wavering look in the man's eyes. "Restore the true empress of Japan that will unify the country so no one would have to die again due to petty power-grabbing."

 _A world… where no one has to die the way Rin did…_

"And to do that, we need you, Obito-sama." White Zetsu's tone was tranquil and soft, but it still sent icy chills down his spine. "Won't you join us?"

A heavy silence hung in the air.

"I… I can't," he snapped after a moment's hesitation. "I promised Rin that we will protect Sensei and his family together."

"YOU—" Black Zetsu was once more checked by his comrade.

"You don't have to decide right now, Obito-sama." White Zetsu's voice was smooth as silk. "After all, it _is_ an important promise that Obito-sama made with Nohara-san."

Behind them, the branches of the trees swayed rhythmically, as if coaxing Obito to let down his guard and listen.

"But if it were a different person who would seek justice for her… someone who isn't Obito-sama but cherishes Nohara-san equally…"

 _Kakashi…?_

His teeth clenched. _No._ The Hatake Kakashi at the diner, unaffected and unfeeling even right to her moment of death, could not be entrusted with this very important task.

But if Kakashi couldn't do it, who could?

It had to be him. No one else.

The white-clad Zetsu's face broke into a comforting smile when he saw the newfound resolution on the man's face. "Won't you stay for a bit more, Obito-sama? We have lots of _interesting_ things to share with you."

He didn't need to be invited twice.

Hours ago, he felt like a dead man walking. But now he found his purpose again.

 _No matter what kind of path I have to take, even if it leads me to a point of no return..._

… _if it's for her, I will gladly walk even the path to hell._

There was a light spring to his feet as he took those steps back to his newfound allies two at a time.

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.

"Onee-san?" Hyuuga Hanabi's head peeked into the room, where her elder sister sat in pensive silence. Her shoulders and back, usually straight and elegant, were sagged in defeat.

The office documents lay forgotten on the desk— an unusual sight, as her sister had been diligently poring through them for the past few weeks in an effort to learn the ropes of the business as quickly as she can.

All of these could only mean one thing: their father had set his foot down once and for all regarding her sister's need— nay, _duty_ —to be married off.

"Father said the limo is being prepared for you to attend a VIP private dinner," she said gently. "He said you should get ready."

The woman before her nodded slowly but did not turn her way.

 _Onee-san…_ Hanabi's eyes clouded in pity. More than anyone in this family, she knew how hard her sister worked to meet their father's exacting expectations. And to be told that all of these was for naught, she could only imagine how disappointed her elder sister was.

"Actually I think you still have some time to take a walk." She offered Hinata a warm, sympathetic smile. "Go on, Onee-san. I'll give you a call once the hairdresser gets here."

Her sister offered a wan but grateful smile, but that was a start, at least.

Minutes later, she watched her sister from the window as the latter strolled outside. Shortly after, the door slid open behind her and in came the panicking maid. "H-Hanabi-sama! The hairdresser has been waiting in the bedroom for fifteen minutes! Where's Hinata-sama?!"

"She'll be there in a bit," promised Hanabi sweetly. "I'll see to it."

"Thank you so much!" The servant bowed, and then closed the door. Once again, Hanabi was left alone in the room.

 _Now then._ Hanabi reached for the stationary drawer beneath the paper-littered desk and pulled out a pair of craft scissors. _Let's how well one can trick the eye of a blind man!_

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Tenten's brown eyes softened when she spotted the now-familiar figure waiting for her nearby. Hyuuga Neji and his omnipresent reading tablet weren't particularly hard to find; his aura lent elegance to the surroundings, making passersby feel as if they were gathered in a traditional tea ceremony house instead of a dirty street-side curb.

She saw Shoseki, who amusingly had been his most constant companion these past few days, nudge the male with his elbow. "Hey, Tenten's here."

"I'm not going to fall for that anymore," said Neji, refusing to look up from his material. "Don't you think that after the sixth time you pulled that trick, I would probably draw the line somewhere?"

Grinning, she joined the two on the curbside. "Well, you guys seem to be fast approaching the BFFs phase."

Neji blinked, then sighed. "I know it's irrational, but I really want to blame you, Tenten, for not coming here sooner to help me keep my pride intact."

Dusting his knees, Shoseki got up and gave them a wave. "I'm heading back to check on the old man."

"Thanks for keeping Neji company!" she called after his retreating figure.

"I'm only doing it to bask in his cool guy image and lure girls in by extension!"

Tenten turned to him, an eyebrow arched perfectly. "You're Shimanto's hottest matinee idol right now, huh?" Her peripheral view showed girls staring daggers at her, as if asking how dare she approached their prince so casually.

"I am a thing of novelty to your townmates, but no doubt it'll come to pass soon," he answered simply, gracefully rising from his seat. He then turned to offer her his hand. "Come."

She accepted his hand, and he readily pulled her up back to her feet. She could sense the rage from the distance grow darker and hotter. "Somehow, I think you're underestimating your fangirls, Neji."

His answer couldn't even be more off-tangent. "Please take your workshop breaks more frequently, Tenten."

"H-Huh?" She frowned, not sure if she just missed a part of the conversation. "What are you talking about?"

He held up her hand, which was still entwined with his. "Your grip is very weak. I'm not surprised if you can't even feel my touch."

"I-I get it, I get it! Geez!" She snatched her hand away from him, her cheeks burning.

"This is rather common among laborers who handle heavy materials for eight to ten hours every day," he continued, not noticing the ruckus he had caused her now-wildly hammering heart. "And chances of accidents greatly increase if your hand grows numb and fails to provide crucial tactile information to your brain."

"It's still delivering messages to my heart, though," she muttered.

He eyed her anxiously. "Do you experience unusual heart activities, too? Studies show that certain neural signals coming from the heart can impair cognitive skills as well."

 _Now that explains why I can't think straight when he does stupid little things like this._ She slapped him soundly on his back. "I'm fine, I'm fine! More importantly, I just finished folding the metal for the letter opener. It was soooo cool! Here's what Io-sama and I did…"

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.

 _Oh, it's starting to rain._ Hinata absent-mindedly turned to search for an umbrella in her shoulder bag, but recalled she brought neither with her when she slipped out of the Hyuuga compound that late afternoon at her sister's behest.

She didn't bring a chauffeur and service along— she reasoned that she was just going to a nearby park anyway to get some fresh air. Who knew Mother Nature's whims well enough that the clear skies would shortly give way to rain?

Left with no choice, she hurried to the nearest gazebo to wait it out. It was only a quarter past five, but the place was deserted. It usually had students and young couples around this time, but those people likely had more common sense than her and actually brought umbrellas with them so they could go home despite the weather.

 _No, I'm being too hard on myself. I am mimicking Father._ She flicked a wet strand off her eyes.

The conversation she had with her father this afternoon hung heavily in her mind. Prior to that meeting, she had been secretly anticipating that moment when they would discuss the board meeting, hoping that she would finally receive a positive acknowledgment of her hard work from her father. She wanted him to be proud of her.

But it seemed the only thing that would earn his approval was if she would fulfill her fate of bringing in the family's successor— a responsibility she had to carry the moment she came into this world as an inferior gender in the family's eyes.

Perhaps, Neji-niisan was right. Each person had a role in the world to fulfill. Like her Uncle Hizashi whom her father could not save even with their wealth, she, too, could not fight against her destined fate. And Otsutsuki Toneri would not only look after her but also the people and their families who relied on the strength of the Hyuuga's future.

Uzumaki Naruto's grinning face entered her mind. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away with the back of her wrists. _It's not like he's even mine to lose in the first place. Why am I even crying?_

 _ **RING!**_

"Must be Hanabi," she murmured as she slid the mobile phone of her pocket. She glanced quickly at the screen to confirm who was calling.

The number was showing up as unregistered.

 _Strange._ As the heiress of the illustrious Hyuuga clan, her number was supposed to be kept confidential even to her suitors and friends. The few contacts on her phone had been all carefully screened by her family caretakers.

 _Probably just a prank call. It's not that odd if people will accidentally chance upon my phone number combination, right?_

But she was wary about answering the phone call, similarly to how she and Hanabi were weaned never to go with strangers no matter how harmless they may appear.

Suddenly, the rain was no longer a detriment to going home. She'd take getting drenched over this uneasy feeling anytime.

 _I should call our driver._ Her eyes looked at the screen depicting an animated phone insistently ringing. She swiped the red End button to end it, but in a flash, the call came through and was ringing incessantly again

She gritted her teeth, turned off her phone to suppress the ringing, and scampered out of the gazebo.

.

.

.

" _MINATO! How dare those two bastards be late for my Rin-chan's thirtieth birthday celebration!" Uzumaki Kushina banged her wine glass on the Formica table of the corner booth they reserved in a little-known restaurant on the outskirts of Tokyo._

 _Ever the diplomat, Namikaze Minato raised his hands in a conciliatory manner while speaking soothingly to his incensed wife. "Now, now, Dear. Rin might not want to announce something as personal as that to everyone here."_

 _This did little to soothe the blazing beast. "AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH WOMEN GETTING OLDER?! My Rin-chan is SOOOOO much cuter than women ten years younger than her!"_

" _Pft."_

 _In the car, Hatake Kakashi had barely kept himself from cracking up. The furious voice of the esteemed minister could be heard through the earbuds of his listening device even if they were drooping down from his ear. Earlier, their co-conspirator Sensei had attached the bug to the restaurant's table intercom, so the microphone could easily capture the entire glorious exchange._

 _On the other screen, Uchiha Obito's face appeared. "What? Is it my cue now?" He self-consciously tugged on the bow of his waiter's uniform. He was hiding in the staff room, along with a large bouquet of exactly thirty white roses and a birthday cake._

" _Not yet," replied Kakashi. "Rin's still Rin."_

 _Obito let out a sigh. "Grah, dammit. Even with Sensei deliberately getting the both of them drunk, Rin still hasn't faltered, huh?"_

" _You and your bright ideas." For Rin's birthday this year, Obito had proposed to prank the always prim and proper executive assistant of Minister Uzumaki and get her drunk. They would not come in until she had become inebriated enough to be weepy or irate about them not showing up. And that's when he and Obito will make their appearance. Minato-sensei agreed to record everything on camera._

" _I'm getting hungry," complained Kakashi. "Let's just go and surprise her anyway by showing up at the same time for once."_

" _BUT I WANT HER REACTION VIDEO!"_

" _Alright, alright! Now pipe down or else she'll overhear."_

" _With Kushina yelling like a drunk uncle? Fat chance!"_

 _Indeed, Kushina's berserk mode was unstoppable. Kakashi offered a silent prayer of thanks that he was in the safety cocoon of his car, unlike Sensei who was in direct line of fire._ Thanks for taking one for the team, soldier, _he thought with a smirk._

" _I-It's okay, Minister. R-Really, it is." Nohara Rin's soft-spoken tone was unmistakable, despite the many years it had been since he last heard it. This was but one of the few things she had hurriedly outgrown in order to protect her no-nonsense professional image in the field. "I'm sure they're both dealing with something really important right now that they can't squirm out of."_

" _RIN-CHAN!" The aghast expression on the feared politician's voice was vintage._

" _Otherwise, they'll be here," she continued good-naturedly. "Because men can't say no to free food and booze!"_

" _Oh, Rin-chan, my precious baby girl!" Then in contrast to her sweet, affectionate tone with the birthday celebrant, Kushina turned to her husband in a dangerously menacing manner. "Minato, I don't care how you do it, but be sure to bring those two idiots here. Or else, I'll make them wish they've never been born." Cracking fists could be heard over the line, definitely for emphasis but it might as well have been a terror threat to this spy listening in on them._

" _R-Right. I'm going then. I'll be back as soon as I can." Minato's light retreating footsteps sounded off and then disappeared._

 _Kakashi picked up the other mic. "Obito, Sensei got chased away by Kushina."_

" _For real?! What a loser—OUCH! Sensei, you'll mess up my hair gel!"_

" _Don't worry about your hair. The roses are in way worse condition!"_

" _WAAAH!"_

 _With a groan, the white-haired male was about to retry coaxing them all into making an appearance already when he caught what seemed like a hushed conversation. Is Rin getting emo yet?_ Damn right It's about time, I'm starved, _he thought as he put the earbuds into place so he could listen in more closely._

"— _not interested in him, either," He could hear the quiet sound of glass being placed back on the table._

" _Why not?" Incredibly, Kushina had already calmed down. It seemed Rin had managed to tame the beast through the promise of rare personal gossips about her love life. "Are you in love with someone else?"_

 _The spirits might have really overtaken the birthday girl at that point, as she readily answered that with utmost sincerity._

" _I am. I've loved him since I was nine."_

 _He sucked his breath in._

" _Kakashi?" asked Obito, puzzled by the lack of pointed sighing and acerbic putdowns in the background. "Have you really died of hunger back there?"_

 _Wordlessly, he placed the other device on mute and turned back to the bugged stream to continue listening in._

"— _because he is a genius, but I have learned to grow fond of his other aspects, too."_

" _Does he know how you feel?"_

 _Rin chuckled. "Probably. When I was sixteen, he caught me placing a Valentine chocolate in his bag. A friend actually asked me to give it to him in her stead, but I just couldn't muster the courage to hand it to him. I didn't want things to turn out awkward."_

However, it only turned out even MORE awkward for us. _Of course, he remembered that incident. Back then, Rin had turned red practically from head to toe. She may not have been the original gifter, but she sure had the same sentiment._

" _I tried to tell him it wasn't mine," she narrated. "But the way I reacted back there, I wouldn't be surprised if he thought I was lying,"_

" _So how did he respond to that?"_

" _Uhm. he just told me to return it to my friend."_

No, that was hardly just it. _Kakashi knew exactly what he told her fourteen years ago._

" _Tell your friend that I am not interested in romance. The family I have now is more important than anything else in this world."_

 _He didn't need to look in order to know that he had hurt her because of that. Badly._

 _But he also knew perfectly well that the delicate ties linking the three of them would shatter if he dared upset the status quo. Obito who loved Rin who loved him who loved the both of them like his own family._

 _The next day, she proceeded to talk to him as if nothing happened. He was relieved— he didn't have to lose her after all._

 _And then as years went on, he noticed how her hero worship of his early-stage prodigy gave way to a more familial, comforting, sibling-like exasperation with him._

 _He had always assumed it was due to her feelings for him fading as childhood infatuation always did. However..._

" _Do you still feel the same way about him?" the drunk minister wanted to know._

 _Instinctively, he brought the earbud even closer to his ear._

" _I do," she slowly admitted. "Then, now… for always."_

 _Kakashi had heard enough. Throwing down his earbuds, he bent down to undo his seatbelt…_

… _and right across him on the passenger side was Rin herself._

 _She smiled warmly— the legendary coveted smile as per the ministry staff but something he and Obito knew she was only too capable of._

" _Take care and be safe, Kakashi."_

 _To his ear, it had always sounded like a little sister sending him off to work. But tonight, it felt like a lover bidding her last farewell._

 _His shaking hands reached out to touch her face, but when his fingers were just inches away, her whole body burst into flames._

.

.

.

Kakashi wasn't sure initially what woke him up.

For the past few nights, his dreams had always been about Rin. The regrets and self-loathing he had to push away during his waking hours in order to effectively conduct a manhunt would return to his subconscious at nights and terrorize him, reminding him of the woman he failed to save.

Groaning, he sat up, noticing that he still had on yesterday's clothes. Working almost twenty hours a day, he had little energy and time at the end of the day to practice even the most basic of hygiene conventions.

Then he heard it again— the distinctive sound of email notification from Rin's inbox. It was the very same account that received the fateful message that led her out into the streets, and left her vulnerable and defenseless. He was hoping that the killer would get careless and interact again— gloat, leave incriminating messages… whatever footprint he could use as a starting point.

Immediately he reached for his laptop. This device never went to sleep— it did the sleuthing and large-scale data analysis for him while his frail human body did its poor best to recover for next day's inevitable abuse.

He had recently chatted with Minato and Kushina about his quest to find Rin's killers himself. However, he would need help from them to up the political pressure, too. He was sure that whoever killed her did it under the auspices of the imperial royal family's enemies.

The Crown Prince later thanked him in secret for helping his wife to regain her spirit and get back up her feet. Nohara Rin was the daughter and the little sister Kushina always wanted to have, and losing her this way because of their notoriety had positively broken her heart.

His eyes turned sharp when he saw an unread email that came in just an hour ago. It simply stated, "If you're seeking answers about Rin, find me."

A quick look at the email headers show that the message came from one of the many freely available disposable emails on the Web, but the tacked x-originating-ip did not show up in public VPN and proxy lists. There were other more technologically complex possibilities, of course, but rationally, he felt that the bigger possibility was that this person wanted to be found only by the right people with the particular skills to find him or her.

. _Fine. Let's play your game._ He took note of the geolocation results.

.

.

.

The plan didn't go as well as Hyuuga Hanabi imagined it the first time.

After slicing her bangs to mimic her sister's, she confidently strode towards the hairdresser, only to cause the woman and all the other maids to collectively freak out.

" _Hanabi-sama, we beg of you to stop playing pranks! Where is Hinata-sama?!"_

 _She grimaced. "You knew?"_

" _A nineteen-year-old's body is different from a fourteen-year-old's!"_

 _The red-faced Hyuuga clutched her flat chest sadly._

" _W-We didn't mean that, Hanabi-sama! W-We meant your height difference!"_

 _Hanabi flipped her hair over her shoulders. "Oh well, Onee-san's not here and Hyuuga Hinata cannot be late for her meeting. Guess I'll have to do."_

" _But they'll instantly know it's not Hinata-sama!"_

 _She placed her hands on her hips defiantly. "BO-RING! You guys are so pessimistic! We're talking about a blind guy here. How would he know the difference?"_

 _One maid timidly raised her hand. "Well, there's that difference in the way you speak…"_

" _I'll wear a flu mask and pretend to be sick so I'll only answer in monosyllables."_

" _What if he tries to ask you about things he and Hinata-sama had discussed in the past meeting?"_

 _Hanabi coughed flashily before softening her tone the way she remembered her elder sister was inclined to do. "Yes. Indeed. True. Right. WORD."_

 _A collective sigh escaped from the attendants. Even sheltered ladies like them knew there was something off about the last word._

" _B-But they're to be married… so… so…" No one in the room could say it out loud that the sweatdropping girl felt she had no choice but to do it for them._

" _You mean he might do *BEEP* on me?"_

 _The room exploded into scandalized screams. "HANABI-SAMA!"_

" _My smelling salts! Someone get me my smelling salts!"_

" _Dear God, she's only fourteen years old! Fourteen!"_

 _Hinata waved her hand dismissively. "Chill out. With Neji-niisan's training in self-defense, I'm pretty sure I can handle a blind man getting frisky."_

 _And despite the pleadings and hysterics, in the end, she prevailed on her attendants. She wore a black kimono with lavender flower patterns to make her look older and more sophisticated. Shunning the formal zori, they opted to put her on a very high pair of geta to compensate for the height difference. Then with meticulous makeup and elegantly done hair, she completed her transformation into Hyuuga Hinata for the evening._

" _Hanabi-sama! You really look like Hinata-sama after all!" One maid couldn't help but gush._

" _Are you stupid?! Of course, she should! They're sisters after all!"_

Indeed, _she thought, nodding solemnly to herself._ Onee-san is my only sister in this world, so I'll do my best to protect her.

" _Hinata-sama, the driver awaits," announced the hairdresser, smiling reassuringly at the adorned young mistress._

 _Hanabi posed her best demure Hyuuga Hinata smile. "Yes."_

"Hinata-sama?"

Hanabi blinked, then realized that Otsutsuki Toneri's bodyguard was looking at her expectantly. They were standing before the double doors of the grand private suite, which had been opened for her.

"Y-Yes. Indeed. True. Right. WORD." Hanabi nearly smacked herself with her palm. _It came out much smoother when I rehearsed it earlier!_

But it seemed the bodyguard barely paid heed. Instead, he led her to the lone table in the middle of the room, where a tall, brooding silver-haired man was waiting quietly.

 _Ah, so this is Onee-san's husband-to-be. He's a little younger than I imagined him to be._

Sitting across him was another man that she would never mistake for someone else even if she herself went blind.

 _Oh my goodness, I forgot about Father!_

.

.

.

Hinata was on the verge of tears when she spotted the familiar roof of the Hyuuga compound. The two-kilometer distance never seemed as far as it was now, with the surroundings apparently deserted but with an unshakeable feeling that numerous pairs of eyes were watching her maliciously.

But her joy was short-lived. For standing in front of their gates was a tall person holding an umbrella with his back facing her.

So halting her tracks, she hid behind a neighbor's gated wall and fearfully turned on her phone to try and call anyone in the Hyuuga household.

She was greeted by a notification of thirty missed calls, all from the same number. As she skimmed through the call logs, she noticed that the intervals between each call seemed only between 30 to 60 seconds. That wasn't something normal people did.

Then as if it were a sentient being sensing her presence, it rang into life once more. The loud sound kept going as she had trouble swiping on the now-wet phone screen. It was only a couple of minutes after frantic swiping that she recalled the readily accessible volume buttons on the device' side panel. Only then did the horrible sound go away.

But she could hear something else that terrified her more. Footsteps. Some humming of an old nursery song. A leisurely pace that seemed to say he had all the time in the world to get to her.

Even without peeking, she knew it was the umbrella man. He knew where she was hiding, no thanks to her phone giving away her location.

She was about to dash towards the opposite direction when she heard someone call out her name.

Just several feet away and walking towards her worriedly was Uzumaki Naruto. His golden-colored bangs peeked through the rims of his orange and black beanie and he wore a nondescript black coat in order not to stand out while walking in public. He easily clutched a big navy blue umbrella on one hand.

"Hinata, you're soaked to the skin! Why didn't you bring any protective gear with you if you were going out?"

Relief flooded through her upon seeing a friendly face, especially when she heard the terrifying footsteps retreat and scurry away. She was safe at last.

Naruto hurried towards the paler-than-usual Hinata, who seemed to have been relying on the wall to remain upright. He immediately took her under the shade of the umbrella, his hand worriedly brushing the wet masses of hair off her face. "You're cold."

"A-A little bit."

Naruto's jaw tightened at the sight of the woman's small, shivering figure. "Hold this." Planting the umbrella handle on her hand, he slid off his coat.

"Isn't Obito-san with you today?" she asked, noticing the absence of the comical driver by his side.

"We had a little fight." He draped the outercoat firmly around her shoulders. "Better?"

"Very much so, thank you." Concern was etched on her lovely face. "Are you alright?"

"I should be the one asking you that."

She shook her head firmly. "I'm fine, really. You're here now—" Her hand flew to her mouth in embarrassment.

His grin widened. "I should be the one saying that." In a slow, gentle motion, he gathered her entire body into an embrace.

"N-Naruto-kun, y-you'll get wet!" The umbrella had tilted towards her side, leaving the most of him unsheltered.

"It's fine," he murmured against her ears, holding her tighter. "Everything feels much better now."

"Naruto-kun?"

"Maybe… maybe I understand him a little better now."

 _Obito-san and Naruto-kun must have had a huge disagreement_ , she thought silently to herself.

"It must have felt like hell to not be able to be there for the person he cares for when she needed him most," he posited quietly. "And every day it never ends, because every day without her reminds him of his greatest failure in life."

Alarm bells rang in Hinata's head. "R-Rin… san… something happened to Rin-san?"

"They got to her, Hinata. Our family's enemies got to her." His shoulders trembled in pain. "We didn't manage to save Rin." His voice trailed off as his face finally crumpled.

"Oh, Naruto-kun!" Letting go of the umbrella, it was her turn to pull the man down towards her arms and stroke the back of his head comfortingly. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Naruto-kun. I am so, so sorry…"

They stood like this for some time, unmoving and unspeaking. At the back of her mind, Hinata recalled that she had to leave for an arranged marriage meeting with Toneri, and if she failed to show up, her father would definitely be unhappy about that.

However, Naruto needed her at the moment. He must have specifically sought her out because he felt that she was one of the few people who could empathize with how he felt… as an individual, and not as an heir to the empire.

 _I can't go. He needs me._

Once again, she felt the familiar feeling of helplessness. It was just like during her Uncle Hizashi funeral. Her Neji-niisan embraced his father's photo, but his stony face refused to express even a modicum of sadness. Many harsh whispers resulted from that.

Without the voice of a grownup, they could not properly defend their cousin from these cruel-hearted people. So she and Hanabi clung to Neji's side instead, and only then did they sense his guard drop. He closed his eyes in mourning, and the three of them sat together like that for a long time as relatives and associates streamed past them.

But unlike the young Neji, Naruto openly wept. And she allowed him to cry, with the fervent hope that after this it would have lessened the heaviness in his heart even just for a tiny bit.

From a distance, a camera phone swiftly took shots of the couple.

.

.

.

"Good evening, Father. Good evening, Otsutsuki-san."

The old man gave her a curt nod, and she slid down to her own seat.

"Was it raining hard outside?" asked her sister's marriage partner.

"Eh?"

"Because it's unusual to hear the sound of _geta_ in formal places like this—"

 _Oh no! He noticed even THAT?!_

"—so I assume it's to keep the kimono safe from muddy puddles," he concluded affably.

Hanabi blinked, and then bowed. "Indeed." _Okay, crisis averted!_

Hyuuga Hiashi cleared his throat and spoke. "Otsutsuki-san, let me start by apologizing for not being here the first time that you met my daughter. I was bedridden at that time."

"Ah, then I hope you are feeling much better now, Hyuuga-shachou. The company needs you." Otsutsuki Toneri sounded crisp yet friendly, and Hanabi could see how her father was being won over by his demeanor.

"Thank you for the kind words. But sadly, times are changing. The world demands more and more of us businessmen, and I think those needs can only be met by the younger, more dynamic members of the population."

Hanabi glanced at Toneri again. Even with his eyes closed, he was an image of an apt, respectful listener hanging on the other person's every word. _No wonder Father brought out his politician-on-a-campaign-trail persona._

"So I am hoping that I can entrust the future of my company, and more importantly, one of my two daughters to your capable hands."

 _There goes the sales pitch._

"Oh? You have two daughters?"

She nearly spat out the fish she was nibbling on.

Hiashi glared at her disapprovingly and then turned to his prospective son-in-law with a huge smile. "Yes. Hinata here is my eldest, while Hanabi is my youngest. If you visit our home to play blindfold shogi with an old fool like me, you'll have the opportunity to meet her, too."

Toneri smiled warmly. "The patriarch of the Hyuuga Complex an old fool? Then, pray tell, what should greenhorn novices like us be called? It will be my honor to play the Generals' Game with you, Shachou."

The topic of the conversation shifted to other company honchos who play shogi, and then settled on the state of these people's lines of businesses and companies. To Hanabi's relief, the meeting turned out to be more of a father-in-law gauging his daughter's husband prospect than the couple assessing each other's compatibility.

When dinner ended, Hiashi looked positively pleased. Triumphantly, he announced that he would be waiting for Hinata at the car so the two could have a brief moment to themselves. Hanabi tried to protest but her irresponsible father seemed to have his heart set on leaving his beautiful daughter in the hands of a smooth-talking, blindfold shogi-playing stranger.

Soon enough, it was just the two of them in the table, with a guard standing some distance away from them to guard the doors.

 _Now what?_ Despite her earlier bravado, Hanabi suddenly recalled her maids' fear regarding the man before her attempting to, well, _*beep*_ her. _Hanabi-sama, you're just fourteen years old! FOURTEEN!_

"So, how old are you again?"

"Fourteen…" Her eyes grew wide when she just realized what she had stupidly divulged to the man. "I-I mean, f-for teens and young women, that is considered an evil question, Otsutsuki-san! Ohohoho!" _Wait, does my sister even laugh like that?_

Toneri's mouth twitched. "I see. So she sent her fourteen-year-old middle-schooler sister to try and deceive me."

A vein popped on her head. After all her hard work, she couldn't believe that a blind man would spoil everything.

The businessman leaned back, rubbing his chin. "What a shame that my future wife thinks so little of me."

Her gaze sharpened. "Hey, Onee-san had no idea I did this."

His brows raised. "Oh?"

"Onee-san is a good woman who only wants to make the people around her happy. She looked unhappy earlier, so I sent her away to rest," she explained through gritted teeth.

A smirk formed on his face. "What a nice little sister you are."

"I'M NOT!" she snapped, causing the guard to turn their way alertly.

In response, the man raised a hand. "It's okay. The Hyuuga women are prone to outbursts, it seems."

Her eyes trembled. "I-I'm not… because if I were, I should have stood up for her sooner. I should have told Father to not be too hard on her because Onee-san is trying her hardest on her own." She started to sniffle.

"...would you like a lollipop?" he offered out of not knowing what to say a teary-eyed kid.

"f you want me to stab you in the nose with that then go ahead and give me one," she retorted, wiping her tears away with her clenched knuckles.

Toneri laughed out loud. "Amazing… you and she couldn't be any more different people, but somehow you two still feel the same."

"You learn that in school. It's called biology. We're sisters, you know." Hanabi got up in a huff, but forgetting that she was wearing a _geta_ , she wobbled and fell on the floor.

The guard immediately headed their way to assist her in getting back on her feet while the horrible boss contented himself with laughing heartily at the scene.

"That was one of the most ungraceful sounds I've ever heard to come from a woman," remarked Toneri.

She was about to glare at him when she realized what he had just called her. For a second, she felt her heart pound loudly in her ear.

"Oh? No cutting comebacks, Ojou-san?" He suddenly clamped his mouth shut when she quietly covered the back of her neck peeking from the kimono, mortified by the blush spreading across her body like a wildfire.

"I-I… I need to go. You stay away, lying jerk." Without waiting for his response, she abruptly fled the room.

The guard looked stunned at what he had just witnessed. "Was that really Hinata-sama? She seemed a little… different."

"But terribly amusing nonetheless." He couldn't help but feel impressed by how sharp her perception was. The reason she covered her nape was that she sensed he was gazing at it— and certainly not with the eyes of a completely blind man.

It was definitely _his_ fault. With the limited vision his eyes offered, he was still taken in by her adult-like, carefully put-together appearance that nearly mirrored Hyuuga Hinata.

And for a moment, he forgot that he was speaking with a child ten years his junior.

 _Ah, she's going to be a handful when she grows up._

.

.

.

The next morning, the Internet was abuzz. An anonymous poster on a global message board just broke the news of Nohara Rin's death. It chronicled, in astonishingly accurate details, the cover-up by the Imperial Household Agency itself, given Rin's proximity to the Crown Princess,

It also claimed that Rin had to be disposed of because she learned too much about the secrets of the Chrysanthemum throne. In truth. the blue-eyed emperor had less claim to the throne than the true noble blood of the former Princess Kaguya.

Later on, the user posted a photo, this time showing the son of the Crown Prince in a passionate embrace with a raven-haired woman. Her back was facing the camera, so the user invited the whole site to make their guesses.

Overnight, he became the talk of the town, beating all leading news outlets in breaking the story. When asked, he simply provided a single name.

Tobi.

* * *

 **To be continued**


End file.
